EAV and City of Aberdeen to trial new hydrogen eCargo bikes
Electric Assisted Vehicles is preparing to deliver six hydrogen powered eCargo bikes to the City of Aberdeen as part of a new trial.
The EAVH2Cubed eCargo bikes will be at the centre of a project launched by European Union and the Scottish Government, along with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which will look to validate the use of hydrogen fuel cells for sustainable last mile deliveries and clean, healthy and liveable cities.
The project, which will begin next year, will also bring together a range of impressive partners including DPD Group, H2Range (an affiliate of DLR), Unicorn Energy, Energy Expo and Brussels University.
Nigel Gordon-Stewart, executive chairman of EAV, said: “The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, recently delivered a speech at the Dubai Expo 2020 stating that the UK will be taking a global lead in developing hydrogen-powered transport.
“Nowhere is the use of hydrogen fuel cells in lightweight vehicles more effective than within the urban environment. The mid and last mile in goods transport are the two key areas which create a significant proportion of traffic volume and emissions in towns and cities. It’s this critical area that EAV is concentrating on with its range of Transport Future Vision vehicles, the EAV2Cubed and the EAV LINCS. We plan to offer both vehicles with a proven hydrogen solution.”
EAV has significant concerns over the physical weight of the increasing number of battery-powered vehicles and the company questions both where all these batteries are going to come from and the infrastructure and ecological impact of battery electric vehicles.
Adam Barmby, CEO and founder of EAV, said: “It’s a simple fact that the raw materials for battery production are in short supply. EAV focuses on weight reduction, so we use less energy and therefore require less batteries. To take this process even further, we wanted to work on developing a hydrogen fuel cell option for our EAV2Cubed eCargo bikes and our new LINCS van platform and deploy the cleanest, lightest and most efficient vehicles to enhance the urban environment for its communities. We’re also working on a commercial package for green hydrogen production at source which we’ll be announcing in the New Year.”
“The City of Aberdeen Hydrogen eCargo project is a first stepping-stone towards the commercialisation of green hydrogen through EAV’s urban hydrogen transport strategy.” continued Gordon-Stewart. “That strategy, being developed by us and our strategic technology partners, is a key part of our Transport Futures Vision and this latest support from the Minister for Transport is an enthusiastic endorsement of EAV’s strategy and a significant step towards a clean, safe, brighter and better urban future for cities and towns worldwide.”
