Ford has announced the start of a three-year, multi-vehicle trial for a hydrogen-powered E-Transit van.
The project is looking to establish whether the fuel-cell technology is appropriate for the large van, particularly for heavy-duty users of the light-commercial vehicle. It will look into whether those travelling long distances, maxing out the payload, those running energy-draining features such as fridge compartments or those that can’t charge easily during the day will be able to get more zero-emission use from hydrogen.
The trial will last for three years and will see eight vans going out on trial with partner companies including the likes of Ocado. There will be two six-month trials, both taking place in 2024.
What will the power the hydrogen Ford E-Transits?
The Ford E-Transits will all be prototypes and will be fitted with a high-power fuel cell stack and hydrogen storage capacity. The hydrogen fuel cells then provide charge to the battery, which then powers the van’s motor.
Although there are no official figures at the moment – that is the sort of thing that the trial will be testing – the aim is for the hydrogen vans to provide a similar driving range as a diesel version, which would mean they should be able to go between 400 and 500 miles between fill ups.
The hydrogen fuel cells will produce electricity by pairing the hydrogen with oxygen. The trial vehicle shown at the launch features the 68kWh battery of the standard E-Transit. As yet, there is no word on what impact it will have on the van’s payload.
What else is there to know about the hydrogen E-Transit?
The conversions are carried out in house at Ford’s base in Dagenham and will then be on trial around the Thames Estuary area. The work will be carried out by Ford Pro engineers, and they are using the exercise to learn more about such conversions.
There are several partners involved, too, with BP looking at the hydrogen usage and infrastructure needs, while Cambustion is testing the fuel cell system. Viritech is designing the hydrogen storage systems and Cygnet Texkimp is making the carbon fibre tooling for the pressure vessels.
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