It’s great to be on the road again and meeting commercial vehicle manufacturers that are leading productivity and change across Britain, with today’s location being Tevva Hydrogen Trucks’ factory in Essex.
Major investment in hydrogen fuel-cell and electric CV production in recent years has put the UK in a strong position in zero emission technology.
Hydrogen is seen as a viable alternative to battery electric trucks, but there is a common obstacle to both: infrastructure. HGV charging points and hydrogen refuelling stations are still very sparse.
The challenges facing operators in installing BEV charging depots are significant too, with financial incentives like the Plug-in Truck Grant necessary to encourage uptake, although this is not as generous as those in some European countries.
Manufacturers are playing their part by developing the vehicles but every stakeholder in the CV sector will need to play their part if we are to meet our green goals.
It is positive that we are seeing some activity in this space: last week Innovate UK announced the £20m Tees Valley Hydrogen Transport Hub competition, in which successful bidders will push the boundaries of hydrogen powertrains to address challenges such as large-scale refuelling, bus and coach public transport ecosystems and making the supply chain greener.
The successful projects will need to run between June 2023 and March 2025 and include building at least one hydrogen refuelling station in the Tees Valley area that is open for use by other operators in the area.
A smooth planning process for hydrogen refuelling stations is vital to help build confidence in these technologies.
