Hydrogen better for commercial fleets than electric, says Venson

Venson Automotive Solutions believes hydrogen could be a better option for many commercial fleets than electric, as vehicles are more easily adapted and refilling is much faster than recharging.

To help fleet and procurement managers objectively consider the use of hydrogen powered vehicles as part of their future fleet strategy, Venson has published a free white paper ‘On the Road to Hydrogen’.

With so much information, so many variables and so much confusion around the topic, the company aims to help clarify the options for those selecting vehicles for their fleet.

“The past decade has seen hydrogen increase in popularity among manufacturers, particularly for the commercial sector,” said Alison Bell, marketing director at Venson Automotive Solutions. “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.”

One example of a successful hydrogen powered fleet is demonstrated by JCB and detailed in Venson’s white paper. 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.

Bell added: “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.”

The Venson white paper On the Road to Hydrogen can be viewed here: https://www.venson.com/Media/ViewWhitePaper/42