Two English counties have been selected to take part in an exciting trial of hydrogen fuel cell cars.
The councils of neighbouring counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire have signed a ground-breaking deal with UK-based firm Riversimple to trial 30 fuel cell cars from the company.
Both private citizens and businesses will get the chance to test drive the vehicles as part of the trial, as the second testing ground areas to be approved by Ludlow-based Riversimple. The firm already has plans for a trial of thirty cars within the city of Leicester, set to launch in the spring of 2012. It is hoped that if the trials are successful then the cars could eventually be made in the area.
Riversimple first revealed its urban car prototype back in 2009. The two-seater weighs 350kg and has a top speed of 50mph, along with a range of up to 300miles. It is made from carbon fibre and uses a hydrogen fuel cell to generate the electricity to power its motors. The firm calculates that the car would have CO2 emissions of just 31g/km when fuelled with hydrogen produced via steam methane-this compares to around 60g/km CO2 for a typical electric car. Its only tailpipe emission is water vapour.
Customers taking part in the trial will pay a fixed monthly rental and all inclusive per mile charge to use the vehicles, similar to a mobile phone contract. The estimated monthly cost will be around £250 plus a mileage fee, including fuel.
Hugo Spowers, the founder of Riversimple who lives in Herefordshire, said: “We are delighted that Herefordshire and Shropshire have been chosen as they are forward thinking and environmentally aware rural counties situated on the Welsh borders making them ideal areas in which to operate a pilot in parallel with our city trial in Leicester. Like it or not, the age of the fossil fuelled car is nearing its end and for places like Herefordshire and Shropshire to be pioneers as we look to the future is gratifying.”
Riversimple is in the process of second round fundraising, targeting £20 million from investors. The principal backer thus far, the family of Ernst Piech, a member of the Porsche dynasty, are committed to participating.
Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said: "This is an exciting development for Ludlow. To have a ground-breaking hydrogen fuel cell project in Shropshire, is another example of how innovators in renewable energy are choosing to operate from Ludlow.
