Green energy developer announces partnership to develop “first-of-its-kind” vehicle

London headquartered automotive and green energy developer First Hydrogen has partnered with multi-award-winning fleet management provider Rivus to start operational trials with a “first-of-its-kind” hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle (FCEV).

Rivus is a West Midlands based fleet management company, with over 1,300 employees, 78 nationwide garages and 500 garage partners. It currently manages around 120,000 vehicles, including approximately 85,000 light commercial vehicles (LCVs), and supports some of the UK’s largest and most critical fleets.

The partnership commences with a driver training day hosted by First Hydrogen and AVL, the mobility experts supporting vehicle development, at HORIBA MIRA’s proving ground, near Coventry. Rivus will then test one of First Hydrogen’s LCV for a month in the Birmingham and Sheffield areas, which are served by hydrogen refuelling stations.

Rivus will run First Hydrogen’s vehicle on pre-planned routes to measure performance under different driving conditions. Telematics and onboard instruments will capture data on vehicle performance, efficiency, and fuel consumption.

The findings will contribute to First Hydrogen’s overall evaluation and mileage accumulation programme, which supports vehicle optimisation and determines Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Rivus is the first company to participate in vehicle trials with First Hydrogen’s Generation I zero-emission LCVs.

Steve Gill, CEO Automotive at First Hydrogen commented: “It is incredibly valuable to partner with Rivus for the first of our vehicle fleet trials. As highly regarded fleet specialists, we’re keen to receive Rivus’ feedback. The team will put the vehicle through its paces and test it under various duty cycles.

“Their findings will showcase our vehicle’s capabilities to a new audience of fleet customers and create market demand. Rivus’ input will help us to optimise performance and will also inform our plans for future vehicle development and deployment. The team’s expertise will also help us to support fleet operators to switch to zero-emission vehicles.”

Thomas Maerz, CDO at Rivus, added: “We are delighted to be the first trial participants and for our drivers to test this first-of-its-kind, zero-emission commercial vehicle. Having this time to evaluate the vehicle’s capabilities will significantly add to our insight into alternative fuels, especially in the LCV class.

“In light of 2030 targets, this knowledge enables us to help operators with critical fleets that need to transition to zero emission. Providing this support gives our customers confidence in their transition and fuels our ambition to create a cleaner and more sustainable future.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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