Hydrogen Vehicle Systems unveil first UK built Hydrogen HGV technology demonstrator

Hydrogen Vehicle Systems were founded in Scotland in 2017, and effectively reborn post-Covid when Jawad  Khursheed took over as Executive Chairman in 2020.  The company’s work has  attracted grants from Innovate UK and in they secured £30m in government funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). The also benefitted from cash injections from one of the world’s leading independent convenience retailers, the EG Group.

And last week, at the Commerical Vehicle Show, they unveiled a 40-tonne HGV technology demonstrator, featuring a unique powertrain and a radical cab design but, just as significantly, the first indigenous UK Hydrogen HGV, designed and built from the ground up.

The state-of-the-art powertrain employs a fuel cell system and energy storage system to deploy electricity to an electric motor to transmit power to the wheels. It uses the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to recapture energy under braking and while the truck is slowing down. 

The integrated powertrain benefits from an advanced control system which monitors interactions between drivers and control systems, delivering fuel efficiency and durability. This efficiency allows the company to state that the HGV has the potential to travel up to 370 miles (600km).  

The company’s partnership with the EG Group offers them a defined route to market, with the service station and grocery corporation being able to offer hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, fleet customer base and the potential for global scalability.  

The EG Group run retail operations in partnerships with premium brands such as BP, Texaco, Shell and ESSO but they also operate a specialty business, EG Fuel, that focuses on the strategic and operational fuel supply and distribution in mainland Europe. Alternative fuel and electric vehicle charging points have been operated across the company’s forecourt estate for nearly a decade.

Many hydrogen fuelling stations will be located at existing commercial vehicle forecourts, using dispensers that look very similar to conventional petrol and diesel ones, but with a different nozzle. Refuelling takes about 15 to 20 minutes, which is comparable to filling a truck with diesel. 

Jawad Khursheed said: ‘This technology demonstrator showcases our ground-breaking hydrogen-electric commercial vehicle design and advanced powertrain technology. Our zero-emission trucks are a 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 being easily integrated into existing key transport networks.

‘What’s more, we will supply our customers with the most advanced HGV in the sector delivering a step change in driving experience and efficiency.’