Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS), the UK's first Hydrogen Fuel Cell heavy commercial vehicle OEM, has celebrated the latest milestone in their vehicle testing and development program. Their second test vehicle, X2.0, was put through its paces on the test track, delivering the first trailer pull. Powered by green hydrogen, X2.0 didn’t disappoint with excellent performance on its very first test run on the high-speed track at UTAC, Millbrook. A major moment for the busines as the real-world capabilities of the truck were showcased.
X2.0 is one of a series of engineering prototypes. Each testing phase focuses on different aspects of the vehicle design and will be used alongside computer-aided engineering models. This truck will provide crucial real-world test track data, which when combined with dyno test data gathered to date, will be used to refine the vehicle set-up and provide systems calibration and optimisation.
Specifically, data points from the vehicle's powertrain functional software and performance under physical tests, will now begin to be mapped to the virtual world.
The UK-built prototypes, all feature the unique HVS Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powertrain that delivers a suite of features perfectly suited to HGV operations. With fast refuelling, heavier payloads and long range, the truck offers comparable performance to traditionally fuelled commercial vehicles whilst emitting only water from the tailpipe. The water emissions were visible on the test day, demonstrating that the fuel cells are working as expected.
John McKenna, Chief Technical Officer at HVS, comments, "It’s less than one year on from launching our HGV technology demonstrator, and we are already on the test track showing our incredible progress with our first trailer pull with a HVS fuel cell truck. It is the culmination of the team's hard work and commitment, and the support of our key development suppliers, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we have achieved in this milestone moment of our test programme. I can’t wait to see what more this vehicle can do."
