In a strong boost for zero-emission vehicles, ULEMCo and its partners have been awarded £3.9 MM by government, matched by industry to a total £7.9 MM, for a major project with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) to develop solutions for H₂ powered vehicles. The HYER Power project will develop a H₂ fuel cell range extender module that will integrate into electric vehicles used for specialist applications such as ambulances, fire engines and street sweepers.

The funding has been awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre Collaborative Research and Development program, in support of ambitions to build an end-to-end supply chain for zero-emission vehicles in the UK.

OCC will provide the customer input, trialing and dissemination, and the work will lead to a manufacturing-ready, zero-emission H₂ fuel cell-based range extension system for electric drivetrains. Other partners in the project with ULEMCo include: Technical Services (UK) Ltd for cooling capability, Altair Ltd for vehicle energy system modelling, along with Emergency One for the fire engine solutions.

The zero-emission range extender used for HYER Power will apply existing, proven fuel cell technology from the Toyota Mirai, and will demonstrate how zero-emission vehicles can be used in a wide range of specialized and challenging settings. Key outcomes of the project will include a production-ready zero-emission ambulance because of the work already completed by ULEMCo under the ZERRO project, alongside a fully working prototype fire pumping appliance and an HGV road sweeper.

“We are delighted to see this recognition and commitment to developing H₂ mobility as part of the solution to net zero. "H₂ is essential for viable zero-emission solutions in applications such as emergency response vehicles due to the rapid refueling that enables the vehicle to be fit-to-go, and to provide the full flexibility and range required for the job. The packaging constraints and the overall energy demand needed for these vehicle drivetrains as well as the onboard equipment, mean that H₂ solutions are the most cost-productive route to transition to zero-emission fleets. Our strong relationship with OCC will enable us to make rapid progress moving to production-ready H₂ fuel cell designs,” said Amanda Lyne, Managing Director, ULEMCo Ltd.

“H₂ could play an important role in our efforts to decarbonize, especially where battery powered electrification is challenging in heavy duty vehicles like fire engines. I’m delighted that we are partnering with ULEMCo on this important step in exploring and advancing zero carbon solutions,” said Councilor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment.

“We are absolutely committed to act towards our net-zero target and building on the work we have already done to move part of our fleet away from internal combustion engines. Heavy fire engines pose a particular challenge, and we feel that H₂ powered fuel cells can play a promising role in delivering on the county’s climate action ambitions,” said, Rob MacDougall, Chief Fire Officer for Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service.