First Hydrogen to trial parcel delivery with their fuel cell vehicles

Earlier this month, First Hydrogen reported the completion of a successful trial, during which fleet management provider Rivus put one of the company’s FCEVs (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) through 700 miles of testing, providing data on how the  vehicle operates under different conditions.

Amongst other things, the trial showed that the vehicle could comfortably achieve a range of more than 500km on a single tank of fuel, prompting Gemma Horne, Warranty Controller at Rivus, to describe the overall  experience as ‘brilliant.’

Following this, First Hydrogen have announced that they are planning operational trials with several parcel delivery companies looking to enhance their growing greener fleets, starting later this year.

Until now the company have predominantly targeted industries, such as utilities, that require zero emission vehicles with the capability to travel further and carry heavier payloads.

Parcel delivery companies, on the other hand, face a specific set of challenges. They make up the middle and final stages of the supply chain, traditionally making shorter journeys to transport items from local hubs directly to consumers or end users.

These days, they are increasingly undertaking longer routes from distribution centres to lockers and shops with parcel collection services. With fewer stops, the locker model creates two thirds less carbon than conventional home deliveries, which could be reduced further when using greener vehicles. 

Steve Gill, CEO of First Hydrogen Automotive, comments: ‘Carbon reduction targets, low and zero emission zones in cities and phasing out of diesel and petrol-powered vehicles is positioning hydrogen mobility as a realistic solution to the challenges last-mile delivery operators face. Fleet managers are realizing that battery electric vehicles (BEV) alone will not provide the reliability and operational flexibility required to meet customer demands.

‘Future fleets require a mix of BEV and FCEV to overcome these obstacles and hit net zero targets. The large, growing parcel delivery sector desperately needs to build environmentally friendly and commercially viable fleets, and our hydrogen LCV can help to do that. This presents us with an exciting opportunity to explore a new customer base, enabling us to further accelerate business growth and potentially bring our vehicles to market quicker.’