Fuel-cell Commercial Vehicle Generation 2.0 (FCVGen2.0)

Hydrogen fuel cell propulsion is key in supporting UK Net Zero transport policies, as demonstrated by the Automotive Council roadmaps.

Fuel-cell Commercial Vehicle Generation 2.0 (FCVGen2.0) is a Ford-led industrial research project that pilots the introduction of Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FCHEV) to the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sector, aiming to advance the UK capability for fuel-cell powertrain development and vehicle integration, and to validate the business case with a joined-up approach between OEM, energy company, supply chain, and fleet operator.

Building on the success of the ARMD FCVGen1.0 project, which delivered the first Ford Transit FCHEV vehicle in Europe, this project aims to design, develop, and build a fleet of 9 fuel-cell Transits, that will benefit from the latest advances in fuel-cell supply chain technology. 8 of the vehicles will be piloted by strategic fleet operators and customers for six months, gathering subjective and objective feedback to assess their suitability for wider deployment. The fleet trial data will be used to inform a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis tailored to the specific segment, and to provide insights into the required attributes of a possible future product and hydrogen infrastructure.

Even with the current high pace of advancement in battery technology, it is unlikely in coming years, that Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) will fulfil those LCV use-cases that require high daily energy, range, payload or have limited opportunities for charging. FCHEV is a zero-emissions alternative that can address this gap. Competitor FCHEVs have not demonstrated the anticipated benefits in range and payload that can be achieved with a fuel-cell powertrain.

This project aims to employ a high-power fuel cell stack, in conjunction with significant hydrogen storage capability to achieve a vehicle specification that is a direct replacement for the equivalent diesel or gasoline LCV.

The cost and packaging of the hydrogen storage system is critical in delivering the attributes required of a commercial vehicle, such as payload and loading space. The project will include a dedicated workstream on hydrogen storage, aiming to design and develop state of the art hydrogen pressure vessel(s), optimising for capacity, cost, and weight. The pressure vessel(s) will be built in the UK, and the design potentially adapted for volume manufacturing.

A separate workstream will examine efficient and viable recycling methodologies at end of life, for the high value carbon composites used for pressure vessel reinforcement, and possibilities to re-introduce into the supply chain.