2016 is a significant year for Riversimple. Back in October we ran our first test of the Mk2 at the Royal Welsh showground in Builth Wells.

MK2 Powertrain

Everything went smoothly, with vital test data collected. The new powertrain, driven by a hydrogen fuel cell, is running like a dream.

It has been a long, tough journey, but in 2016 Riversimple is about to unveil the Mk2 production prototype.

Paris Agreement

Meanwhile last December in Paris, political leaders and delegates from 195 countries made a historic agreement to tackle climate change.

After two decades of climate talks, the Paris Agreement is certainly good news. The world now has a common vision for cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions and this will be a powerful symbol for people in all walks of life.

To work towards a world in which everyone can live and work and prosper without further damage to the environment is a wonderful thing. But in reality, this is a massive challenge. There are experts already saying that the Paris Agreement doesn’t go far enough. These are not ideologically driven opinions. They are calculations based on the latest science and the precise study of data.

What the world needs now is more businesses like ours. We hope and expect that the Paris Agreement will mean a significant shift in investment to cleaner technologies and transport infrastructure. There are solutions already to hand and these are now ready to be scaled up. If the right choices are made, and there is increasing agreement that hydrogen fuel cell technology must be in the mix, then this can lead ultimately to a zero carbon economy.

New Year Resolution

So, yes, 2016 is a significant year. A year of potential. Just before Christmas, the freshly painted bodywork for the Mk2 arrived at our workshop. It has been part of our New Year’s resolution to have our production prototype ready to go and looking fantastic this January. Are we on track? YES.

Riversimple Mk2 styling almost ready to be revealed

With the bodywork and lights being fitted in our Wales workshop right now, it is a moment for celebration. Our small but skilled team has built a very beautiful new car … a very clever car. Our tailpipe emissions are zero and early test runs confirm that total emissions will amount to a tiny 40g CO2/km. That is the measurement from well to wheel to tail pipe, and represents a 60% reduction in emissions. This is possible now. And in the future, with better ways to extract hydrogen being absolutely possible, we envisage a zero carbon Riversimple car.

Riversimple’s Mk2 is road legal and ready to drive. In 2016 we will launch the prototype and then we are resolved to raise the investment for a total of 20 cars, to come on stream later in the year. These will be made available on contract under our ‘mobility as a service’ program.

The Mk2 could soon be the most efficient eco-car on the market. The Paris Agreement is another sign that the time is right for hydrogen fuel cell cars. There will always be people who will tell you that something new and challenging – it can’t be done. But the team at Riversimple is here to prove that, actually, it can.