Electra Commercial Vehicles (Electra) are proud to announce that they have successfully completed a three-month trial of their zero-emissions 19-tonne refrigerated hydrogen-powered truck with UK supermarket giants Sainsbury’s. The trial ran for 3 months and gave Electra a chance to assess the performance of their Electra eCargo Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV).
The FCEV was tested on a typical daily journey from Sainsbury’s depot in Sherburn-on-Elmet to Newcastle, and back – emitting no CO2 emissions in comparison to an average of 314kg of CO2 per day emitted by a diesel truck travelling the same route. Electra also collected data over the duration of the trial which showed that the HGV was using 65% of its hydrogen capacity per trip, giving the FCEV an approximate operational daily range of 320 miles when its tank is full.
The trial was part of the ‘Road to Hydrogen’ project, a UK government-funded initiative that aims to help solve the challenge of zero-emission road freight. Hydrogen supplies were supplied by Element 2, a hydrogen refueling infrastructure building service provider offering hydrogen refueling services around the UK.
The FCEV was tested on a typical daily journey from Sainsbury’s depot in Sherburn-on-Elmet to Newcastle, and back – emitting no CO2 emissions in comparison to an average of 314kg of CO2 per day emitted by a diesel truck travelling the same route. Electra also collected data over the duration of the trial which showed that the HGV was using 65% of its hydrogen capacity per trip, giving the FCEV an approximate operational daily range of 320 miles when its tank is full.
The trial was part of the ‘Road to Hydrogen’ project, a UK government-funded initiative that aims to help solve the challenge of zero-emission road freight. Hydrogen supplies were supplied by Element 2, a hydrogen refueling infrastructure building service provider offering hydrogen refueling services around the UK.
Sid Sadique, Founder and Chairman of Electra Commercial Vehicles, said ‘I am thrilled with the truck’s performance during the Tees Valley trial. To see something that started out as an idea, and now become a reality is incredible. Yet again, this demonstrates Electra’s position as a leader in net-zero road transport transition, taking the UK and Europe closer to their decarbonization goals. We can now start looking towards operating fully operational hydrogen trucks in 2023 and engaging further with our electric ranges.’
He goes on to thank partner Element 2 for their provision of infrastructure and the hydrogen needed for the success of the trial. He states that he hopes that customers and operators can have trust in this technology and switch to hydrogen sooner rather than later.
Tim Harper, Chief Executive Officer of Element 2, speaking of the completion of the trial said ‘This is a major milestone in the road to decarbonizing UK road transport. Electra’s HGV has demonstrated that hydrogen is a viable alternative to diesel for fleet owners and road haulage operators, with superior range capabilities. We were very happy to provide the necessary hydrogen and refueling services for the trial, and will continue to work with Electra to help customers meet their desired emission reduction and carbon footprint goals.’