Ford final week introduced that it’s began a analysis venture that examines hydrogen as a possible power supply for its E-Transit industrial vans. 

The three-year trial venture, based mostly within the UK, will have a look at whether or not it might ship “enhanced zero-emission-driving vary for E-Transit clients with energy-intensive use circumstances.” The wording of that seems to counsel that the take a look at may use hydrogen as a variety extender for a battery-electric van, however the firm didn’t make clear but on the format of the automobile. 

In accordance with Ford, a take a look at fleet of eight hydrogen fuel-cell E-Transit vans will run for six-month intervals, with information taking a look at the price of possession with enhanced vary and uptime that it says would match that of a diesel van. 

Ford hydrogen fuel-cell E-Transit trial (UK)

The work, partly funded by the UK’s Superior Propulsion Centre, will primarily see if the expertise is sensible in Ford’s heaviest industrial vans. 

Whereas battery electrical vans may make fantastic sense for last-mile supply, Ford says that fuel-cell tech could possibly be helpful for longer-distance transportation or heavy masses, or for cargo-chilling wants or restricted charging alternatives. The U.S.-market E-Transit, with its 68-kwh battery pack, has an estimated EPA-cycle vary of 126 miles, assuming the van is reasonably however not totally loaded.

The automaker factors out that its analysis on fuel-cell expertise goes again to the Nineties. Within the U.S. it was one of many first firms to primarily abandon its hydrogen program within the mid-2000s—not lengthy after displaying a fuel-cell-powered Ford Explorer prototype in 2006—amid a hydrogen growth that stored some firms very bullish on the expertise till 2009 or so. One other such growth, fed partly by coverage, could also be underway. 

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Though many automakers have primarily stated that fuel-cell tech’s window of alternative has handed for gentle autos, a variety of automakers see a future for it in heavier autos. Toyota and Honda, as an illustration, have lately broadened their fuel-cell semi plans for the U.S.

In Europe, Ford says that it’s nonetheless concerned in a variety of hydrogen tasks, together with using hydrogen in inner combustion engine autos.