First Hydrogen’s first fuel cell EV van to be put into test

SSE will be the first utility to trial the hydrogen-powered vehicle – and the first to put it to the test in real-life fleet operations by deploying the vehicle with SSE engineers.

The project will enable First Hydrogen’s team to gather data on fuel consumption, usage, and efficiency. The trials are being used to inform development of First Hydrogen’s Generation II series, currently in development, and will help enhance Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) data.

SSE’s hydrogen LCV will be based at an SSE operational site at Aberdeen, which neighbours a hydrogen fuel station; the Scottish city boasts some of the UK’s best hydrogen infrastructure. FCEVs can be refuelled in around five to seven minutes, delivering a key benefit compared to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which typically take hours to recharge.

SSE joins other fleet operators such as Rivus in trialling the First Hydrogen van. The trials have been co-ordinated through the Aggregated Hydrogen Freight Consortium (AHFC), which works with large UK fleet operators to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen transport through vehicle deployment and refuelling infrastructure development.

Around 15 major fleet operators have expressed an interest in trialling First Hydrogen’s vehicle, including companies in the grocery, parcel delivery and healthcare industries, and trials are set to take place over the next 12-18 months.

SSE operates one of the largest vehicle fleets in the UK and has already pledged to switch 2,500 of its vehicles to electric.