Ford Motor Company will begin a three-year hydrogen-powered E-Transit vehicle trial in partnership with bp, Cambustion, Viritech and Cygnet Texkimp.
Part funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), the project aims to establish whether hydrogen fuel cell technology can deliver zero emission range to Ford’s heavy-use vehicle customers at high mileage, maximum loads and limited charging opportunities.
Ford Pro, the company’s commercial vehicle (CV) and services division will use the pilot project to expand its conversion expertise, and the trials will involve a low-volume test fleet of eight fuel cell Ford E-Transits running for a six-month period, over the three-year project, until 2025 at the company’s Dunton Technical Centre in Essex.
Other project partners such as bp will utilise its capture hydrogen usage and infrastructure requirements; Cambustion will test the fuel cell system; Viritech will design the hydrogen storage systems; and Cygnet Texkimp to provide the pressure vessels’ carbon fibre tooling.
Tim Slatter, Chair of Ford in Great Britain, said, “Ford believes that the primary application of fuel cells could be in its largest, heaviest CVs to ensure they are emission-free, while satisfying the high daily energy requirements our customers’ demand.
“Ford has an unmatched history in the commercial vehicle sector with the indomitable Transit, and we are excited to be exploring new ways to make clean deliveries an option for even our hardest working vans on the road.”
The prototype Ford E-Transit’s will be fitted with a high-power fuel cell stack, with significant hydrogen storage capability optimised for safety, capacity, cost and weight.
The tests will provide insights into the total cost of owning and operating a van, with increased range and operating hours to match its diesel-powered equivalent.
The first-generation fuel cell vehicle was demonstrated at the CENEX Low Carbon Vehicle Show in 2021.
In 2021, Ford teamed up with AVL Powertrain UK to create a Transit hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) prototype to further explore the uses of hydrogen technologies in the mobility sector.
