HVS wins £15m fund to develop hydrogen HGV

Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) has received a £15m grant from the UK Government’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) to accelerate the development of its hydrogen-powered truck.

The company revealed its hydrogen powertrain in the form of a 5.5-tonne technology demonstrator, previewing its planned 40-tonne zero-emission HGV.

Development, engineering and testing will continue until June 2025, with the APC funding covering around half of the total project cost.

HVS CEO Jawad Khursheed said: “Our mission to decarbonise heavy-duty transport in the UK has reached a major milestone with the help of the APC grant. The UK Government performed rigorous due diligence in selecting HVS to receive this grant – acknowledging that our advanced technology is a key innovation towards achieving zero-emission targets.

“We have successfully produced our first driving fuel cell technology demonstrator vehicle and are on track to deliver the UK’s first-to-market hydrogen fuel cell-powered HGV. We have experienced rapid growth at HVS in as little as a year, now with this government support we will boost innovation, create thousands of UK-based jobs in the supply chain, and build upon our goal towards cleaner HGVs.”

HVS will work with Grayson (Thermal Systems), Fusion Processing (vehicle vision systems) and PNDC (a commercial arm of Strathclyde University specialising in power electronics), to develop the new vehicle.

Announcing the APC funding, Business Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Our automotive industry is a world-leader, creating jobs whether in Essex, Somerset or Glasgow.  Seizing the potential from new technologies will be a key part of its future success, while also making our roads cleaner, greener and more affordable.

“Today’s multi-million-pound boost – created by Government working hand-in-hand with industry – will put these firms in pole position to pioneer these innovations, staying at the cutting edge of the global race for decades to come.”

Founded in 2017, in Glasgow, HVS focuses on the ground-up design and development of zero-emission hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles. The company comprises industry specialists, with experience in the automotive, energy, hydrogen technology, power electronics, sustainability and environmental management fields.