UK bets on hydrogen: millionaire injection to develop fuel cell truck

Hydrogen  attracts major manufacturers, such as  Toyota ,  BMW  or the  Stellantis group  , but it is also the raison d'être of some startups. This is the case of the French company  Hopium , the American  Hyperion  and the Scottish HVS.

Hydrogen Vehicle Systems  was founded in 2017 in Glasgow with the aim of developing, manufacturing and selling commercial hydrogen vehicles, from small trucks to large tractors. Your first heavy truck is on its way and UK government grants are essential to bring it to life.

For the moment, the HVS HGV is only a demo truck

The UK uses hydrogen as an alternative energy to traditional fuels and battery electric vehicles. It recently created the  Advanced Propulsion Center  (APC), an organization intended to support companies studying new mobility solutions, such as hydrogen.

Thanks to this, the British division of  Toyota  obtained funding to develop a  fuel cell Toyota Hilux of  which a small series could be manufactured.

The money also arrived at HVS, a startup which, thanks to this injection, obtained half of the  financing  necessary for the creation of the HGS HGV, a tractor with a capacity to tow up to 40 tons. In total the project requires 30 million pounds and there is still no launch date for the truck, although there is a scale model that anticipates the design and technology of the heavyweight.

Commenting on the  HVS HGV , Ian Constance, Managing Director of the UK APC which is providing the funds, said: “Supporting vital research and development in the UK, now more than ever, offers the opportunity to invest in decarbonisation transport and stimulate growth in the automotive sector.

HVS is using partners Fusion Processing, Grayson and PNDC (University of Strathclyde) to develop this truck, which is expected to be the  UK's first heavy-duty truck . The project must be executed between September 1 and June 30, 2025.

HVS relies on the fuel cell, with an electric motor that develops 200 kW (268 HP) and hydrogen tanks that can store up to  32 kg  of this fuel at 350 bars of pressure. In addition, the heavy-duty truck has a KERS energy regeneration system to recharge its battery during braking and deceleration.

In principle, these tanks are enough to ensure a range of about  500 km  if the load reaches 40 tons. With less load, the HVS heavyweight could reach up to 830 km, according to the startup, a figure that would allow it to compete with the Tesla Semi, Tesla's electric truck which,  according to the company , can tow more than 37 tonnes and offers a theoretical longer range of over 800 km.

Precisely the design of the cabin of the HVS HGV recalls that of the  Tesla Semi. Both have a more aerodynamic look than traditional trucks to reduce the coefficient of air resistance and achieve maximum range. We also know what it looks like inside thanks to the scale demonstration HGV that has already been built.

The objective of HVS is to use this vehicle to carry out a test program before launching the series production of the heavyweight. The startup's plans include building a factory in Scotland where more than  600 employees  will work to produce the right-hand and left-hand drive heavy-duty truck, to reach other markets beyond the UK. Meanwhile, hydrogen refueling infrastructure across Europe is also expected to expand.