Businesses should consider the ease of running a hydrogen commercial fleet compared to battery electric vehicles as part of their future fleet strategy.
Although the UK’s current hydrogen refuelling infrastructure is thin on the ground, with the right investment, Venson Automotive Solutions believes hydrogen would be a better option for many commercial drivers.
Its latest free white paper ‘On the Road to Hydrogen’ aims to help fleet and procurement managers objectively consider the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles – including that vehicles are more easily adapted and refilling is much faster than recharging a battery electric vehicle.
Alison Bell, marketing director of Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “The past decade has seen hydrogen increase in popularity among manufacturers, particularly for the commercial sector. Although there may only be 11 hydrogen refilling stations operating in the UK, meaning the infrastructure does not yet exist to make this a widely attractive or practical option for businesses or families, there are options available. Fleets that operate on a more local basis, such as construction sites and urban delivery vehicles, are operating successfully using hydrogen. So, it should not be discounted without proper consideration.”
In fact, the white paper gives an example of a successful hydrogen-powered fleet, run by JCB. Portable hydrogen refuelling tanks are used on construction sites to refill vehicles quickly, cutting downtime and increasing productivity whilst dramatically reducing the site’s carbon emissions.
The new white paper follows this summer’s publication of the Government’s long-awaited hydrogen strategy, revealing its plans for a “world-leading” hydrogen economy.
Bell continued: “Yes, there are still many hurdles to overcome before hydrogen will be a viable mainstream option for fleets. However, government and manufacturer investments are already increasing, and as hydrogen adoption is far simpler than EV conversion, we should see costs fall and infrastructure grow much more quickly than we have seen with electric.
“As a result, we hope and expect to see hydrogen technology come of age within the next decade, so now is the time for fleets to assess the options and make plans for future adoption.”
To download a copy of Venson’s ‘On the Road to Hydrogen’ white paper, click here.
