Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) has announced a £15 million (US$17.8 million) award from the UK government’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) as part of a larger financing package to boost zero-emission transportation.
Following a successful participationin the competition for developing automotive technology and increasing capabilities toward net zero, HVS was given APC money. In the guise of the UK’s first indigenous, clean-sheet, hydrogen fuel-cell HGV, the Glasgow-based firm is pioneering hydrogen transportation innovation truck.
APC’s financing, which aims to strengthen the UK’s long-term capacities by securing research and development investment in collaborative, pre-production R&D initiatives, will cover half of the project’s estimated £30 million (US$35.9 million) total cost.
The project, which runs from 01 September, 2022 to 30 June 2025, is directed by HVS and includes Grayson (thermal systems), Fusion Processing (vehicle vision systems), and PNDC (a commercial branch of Strathclyde University that specialises in power electronics). The assistance and combination of this experience will hasten the development of the whole vehicle’s fuel cell and battery hybrid powertrain, including engineering, testing, and development.
“The £15 million of funding furthers world-leading innovation in net-zero technology for the automotive sector and beyond. These fantastic projects are all collaborative by design, led by high-profile companies with innovative SME and academic partners, representing great UK industry.” said Ian Constance, Chief Executive at the APC.
“Our mission to decarbonise heavy-duty transport in the UK has reached a major milestone with the help of the APC grant. The UK government performed rigorous due diligence in selecting HVS to receive this grant – acknowledging that our advanced technology is a key innovation towards achieving zero-emission targets” said HVS CEO Jawad Khursheed.
“We have successfully produced our first driving fuel cell technology demonstrator vehicle and are on track to deliver the UK’s first-to-market hydrogen fuel cell-powered HGV. We have experienced rapid growth at HVS in as little as a year. Now with this government support we will boost innovation, create thousands of UK-based jobs in the supply chain, and build upon our goal towards cleaner HGVs.”
