As the UK’s largest energy infrastructure company, SSE has recognised the crucial role the decarbonisation of transport will play in meeting net zero. Trialling First Hydrogen’s hydrogen-powered van in a real-life setting will enable SSE to evaluate the benefits of hydrogen mobility alongside its growing fleet of EV engineering and maintenance vehicles as an alternative to fossil fuels.
This is the first of a series of operator trials that will continue for the rest of the year with other blue-chip UK-based fleets. Mileage accumulation is enabling First Hydrogen to gather performance data, including information on fuel consumption, to validate different vehicle operating parameters.
For the next month the LCV will be driven on selected routes and over varied terrain around the Birmingham and South Yorkshire areas. It will carry payloads of various sizes to measure vehicle performance on real-life duty cycles.
The Company’s inaugural vehicles have more than five times more range capability than their battery electric equivalent – achieving 400-600km range on a single fuelling compared to the 115km range of the battery electric van running at the same maximum speed.
