HVS unveils plans for hydrogen commercial vehicle

Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) has unveiled a new hydrogen commercial vehicle which it says will disrupt the haulage industry.

The company, founded in Glasgow in 2017, revealed its hydrogen powertrain in the form of a 5.5-tonne technology demonstrator, and says it offers a hint to its planned 40-tonne HGV, which will have the range to travel more than 500km.

Jawad Khursheed, CEO of HVS, said: “This technology demonstrator showcases our ground-breaking hydrogen-electric commercial vehicle design and advanced powertrain technology, a precursor to our HGV model.

“Fuelled by close-coupled green hydrogen, our zero-emission trucks area key part of decarbonising the logistics sector.

“Hydrogen is the perfect fuel for the haulage industry, offering long ranges and quick refuelling thanks to stations easily integrated into key transport networks.”

The company also said it has a defined route to market. In addition to finding from Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise and Energy Technology Partnership, HVS’s strategic investment partner is the service station and grocery corporation EG Group, offering hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, fleet customer base and the potential for global scalability.

HVS envisages it will open an R&D, engineering and pilot production facility in the Midlands, alongside a permanent UK-based production facility.

It expects to have around 600 employees across all key disciplines, with many recruits coming from the automotive and aerospace industries.

Plans are in place for a left-hand drive variant of the hydrogen-fuelled 4.x HGV tractor unit, with a rigid chassis model also in the pipeline.

In September, Tevva unveiled its 19-tonne hydrogen truck at the IAA Transportation show in Hanover, Germany.

The truck is expected to have a range of up to 500km (310 miles) depending on the number of hydrogen cylinders specified, which can be refilled in 10 minutes.

By adding a hydrogen fuel cell range extender that replenishes the battery throughout the day, Tevva says it has created zero-emission urban trucks that eliminate range anxiety and can replace diesel trucks on all routes.