Hydrogen – HVS unveils new hydrogen-electric business car in lead as much as manufacturing of hydrogen HGV
Showcasing its game-changing hydrogen powertrain within the type of a 5.5-tonne expertise demonstrator, HVS gives a touch to its deliberate 40-tonne zero-emission HGV (Heavy Items Automobile), fulfilling the corporate’s goal of being the primary indigenous UK designed and developed hydrogen-electric HGV available on the market.
Based in 2017, in Glasgow, HVS focuses on the ground-up design and improvement of zero-emission hydrogen-powered business autos. The corporate contains business specialists, with huge expertise within the automotive, vitality, hydrogen expertise, energy electronics, sustainability and environmental administration fields.
With authorities targets to curtail gross sales of all non-zero emission 3.5 -26t HGVs set to return into play by 2035 or earlier and all gross sales of latest non-zero emission HGVs by 2040, HVS intends to play a vital function in permitting emissions discount targets to be achieved.
The corporate additionally has an outlined path to market. Along with funding from Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise and Vitality Know-how Partnership, HVS’ strategic funding accomplice is the service station and grocery company, EG Group, providing hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, fleet buyer base and the potential for world scalability.
“This expertise demonstrator showcases our ground-breaking hydrogen-electric business car design and superior powertrain expertise, a precursor to our HGV mannequin” stated HVS CEO Jawad Khursheed. “Fuelled by close-coupled inexperienced hydrogen (hydrogen produced immediately by renewable vitality sources reminiscent of hydro, wind or photo voltaic) our zero-emission vehicles are a key a part of decarbonising the logistics sector. Hydrogen is the right gasoline for the haulage business, providing lengthy ranges and fast refuelling because of stations simply built-in into key transport networks. What’s extra, we’ll provide our prospects with probably the most superior HGV within the sector delivering a step change in driving expertise, lowest whole value of possession and market-leading fleet administration assist.”
HVS tractor items will likely be constructed on an all-new chassis, designed in-house across the hydrogen powertrain, which consists of pressurised hydrogen cylinders, gasoline cells, vitality storage system and eAxle.
Designed in-house by Pete Clarke, Head of Design, who has a wealth of expertise designing business autos that he brings to bear on HVS’ hanging truck designs. The bottom-up design encompasses innovation in packaging, efficiency, effectivity, weight, vary, consumption, upkeep, and lifecycle advantages. The design permits considerably improved aerodynamics in contrast with present ICE vehicles.
Consequent advantages embrace enhanced gasoline effectivity on long-haul runs and improved spatial ergonomics inside the cab, together with higher entry and extra room on the controls.
HVS’ car powertrain employs a gasoline cell system and vitality storage system to deploy electrical energy to an electrical motor to transmit energy to the wheels. It makes use of the KERS (kinetic vitality restoration system) to recapture vitality beneath braking and whereas the truck is slowing down.
The built-in powertrain is managed with HVS’ superior management system ‘SEMAS’ which is able to ship class-leading gasoline effectivity and sturdiness which contributes to attaining a low value of possession corresponding to that of present diesel-powered choices available in the market.
The gasoline cell permits longer vary, increased load-carrying capability, and quicker refuelling than can be doable utilizing Lithium-Ion battery expertise alone: typical refuelling time is corresponding to diesel. It’s within the long-distance HGV section that hydrogen gasoline cells supply probably the most benefits.
The one emission from the car is water vapour, that means there aren’t any dangerous greenhouse gasoline emissions of any form.
Relying on the journey – the route travelled, highway situations and driving model – HVS’ HGV has the capability to cowl in extra of 500 kilometres.
In pursuit of driving effectivity, SEMAS a complicated management system (monitoring interactions between driver and management techniques) is in improvement. SEMAS will considerably scale back gasoline consumption, extending vary.
Hydrogen-powered autos do not want charging like a battery-powered EV. They’re refuelled with hydrogen gasoline, saved at strain in hydrogen cylinders. Refuelling takes a a lot shorter time than charging an equal battery car and is corresponding to filling a truck with diesel. Many hydrogen fuelling stations will likely be situated at present gasoline stations, utilizing dispensers that look similar to typical petrol and diesel ones, however with a special nozzle.
HVS is Headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, and is enterprise improvement work at Horiba MIRA, Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The corporate intends to open an R&D, engineering and pilot manufacturing facility within the Midlands, benefiting from the area’s historically sturdy motor business abilities base, alongside a everlasting UK-based manufacturing facility. A workforce of circa 600 workers is envisaged throughout all key disciplines, with many recruits coming from the automotive and aerospace industries. It’s probably {that a} additional 10,000 employees will likely be concerned within the UK provide chain, boosting the abilities base.
Plans are in place for a left-hand drive variant of the hydrogen-fuelled 4×2 HGV tractor unit, with a inflexible chassis mannequin additionally within the pipeline.
For extra data:
Hydrogen Automobile Techniques (HVS)
