Providing Hydrogen-Powered Emergency Vehicles

After a new £8m initiative focused on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which will include active participation from the emergency services was announced, what does this mean for emergency vehicles?

Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) has secured a total funding of £7.9m for the project, with £3.9m ($4.9m) awarded by the UK Government and matched by industry.

Under the initiative named ‘HYER Power,’ a project will be undertaken to create a module that extends the range of electric vehicles using hydrogen fuel cells. This module will be designed to seamlessly integrate into ambulances, fire engines, and street sweepers.

The funding was granted through the Advanced Propulsion Centre Collaborative Research and Development program, aiming to accelerate the establishment of a comprehensive supply chain for zero-emission vehicles within the United Kingdom. This funding will contribute to the realisation of ambitious goals in this area.

The range extender utilised in the HYER Power project will leverage established fuel cell technology found in the Toyota Mirai. This application will serve as a demonstration of how zero-emission vehicles can be effectively employed across diverse environments and scenarios.