During the recent 26th United Nations Conference of Parties one theme remained strong throughout the entire two weeks. It is time to transition, move away from subsidising fossil fuels and replace them with renewably-sourced zero emission energy. This is not news in the UK where the government has legislated to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars after 2030. Low Emission Zones are already appearing in cities around the UK and social pressure seems to be rising with huge social movements appearing on social media; the hashtags “sustainability” and “climate change” are among the most used and searched for hashtags of 2021. In terms of powering transport, the focus until fairly recently has been entirely on battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Although we are reminded frequently that sales are increasing rapidly, despite being on sale for almost a decade, BEV’s have only accounted for 7.2% of new car sales in 2021. The public appears reluctant to switch to BEVs, in conversation we often hear people say “ I suppose I ought to get a BEV”. They seem to be waiting and hoping for something better. If they can put it off for long enough, maybe something better will come along.
In August the UK Government published its hydrogen strategy, committing to investment in hydrogen technology and production infrastructure. The potential for hydrogen as a fuel for transport to replace petrol and diesel on the forecourt is promising. Hydrogen refuelling is extremely similar to conventional refuelling; customers arrive and use a pump to dispense hydrogen into their vehicles. Unlike a BEV where recharging will take 20+ minutes, a customer can refill in under 5 minutes.
In our view, customers deserve a choice of zero emission car that doesn’t rely on batteries. Battery cars for medium to long range vehicles may never be affordable to the majority of car users, as 80% of the cost of batteries is in the raw materials and for those without the ability to charge at home, or who cannot afford the downtime required for charging during the day, hydrogen provides a viable zero emission alternative.
There is however a conundrum that presents itself to both retailers and customers. Current hydrogen infrastructure is sparse, meaning hydrogen car sales are very low, because hydrogen car sales are low, retailers seem reluctant to make the investment into hydrogen infrastructure. This is a notion we all know as “Chicken and Egg”. The government is suggesting that HGVs are a logical first step in creating demand and proposing depot refuelling, but this does not resolve the chicken and egg conundrum and is likely to be limited in its uptake. For hydrogen-powered HGVs to be produced in the volumes required to make them affordable, a national refueling network will be required to make long distance travel viable. Cars on the other hand only require local hydrogen provision in the first instance, with a phased rollout model across the retail network in parallel with the cars. As a sustainable hydrogen car manufacturer Riversimple is focusing on an approach that concentrates demand for local hydrogen refuelling. Our first car is designed to be a local car for short to medium journeys in and around the local area. We will be undertaking a local roll out model, releasing a batch of vehicles in a particular locality and working with petroleum retailers in that locality to ensure there is a use case for the investment into hydrogen. With the push for zero emission vehicles becoming ever more prominent, local governments, businesses and authorities are all looking to encourage and support such transitions in terms of infrastructure. We are working with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles to promote the needs for more hydrogen infrastructure funding to be made available by the UK government.
It is clear that standing by and failing to transition to alternative fuels for transport is not an option for retailers or consumers. Demand for fossil fuels will start to diminish as legislation and societal changes start to limit their use cases. While BEV technology will satisfy some needs, customers will need a choice if the shift to zero emissions is to happen. Maintaining independence and freedom of movement is vital and hydrogen has an important role to play. We look forward to seeing hydrogen pumps appearing on more forecourts, alongside battery charging stands.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
