HVS will receive £3.4m as one of seven grants being announced from the Centre for Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) programme.
The company’s consortium, Hub2Hub, will create a self-driving heavy goods tractor unit to deliver to the UK market. Vehicle trials will begin in 2024, with retailer ASDA.
The consortium, made up of HVS, Fusion Processing and ASDA, will build two prototype vehicles that will allow level four autonomous driving.
The first hydrogen-electric HGV prototype will be fitted with a drivers cab and tested on the road, using Fusion’s CAVStar, with a human safety driver at the wheel.
The second prototype will replace the drivers cab with an aerodynamic fairing and be evaluated on test tracks, with the CAVStar system in this application allowing a remote human driver to operate the vehicle.
Jawad Khursheed, HVS CEO, said, “We are engineering the world’s first autonomous hydrogen-electric powered HGV to demonstrate hub-to-hub logistics to a leading retailer, ASDA, showcasing the potential autonomy can deliver thanks to increased safety and fuel savings, and develop new business models.”
The £12m venture has been selected by CCAV as a recipient for its joint industry and government-funded project with the aim of showcasing the potential of autonomy in the transportation sector.
This follows a £25m investment from EG Group last year, to accelerate the UK’s drive to phasing out new non-zero emission HGVs.
Read more: Hydrogen Vehicle Systems receives £25m backing for EG Group
Sean Clifton, ASDA Senior Fleet Manager, said, “Reducing our fleet emissions is a major part of our plan of moving towards Net Zero, so we are keen to look at innovative new technology, which can make a difference to our carbon footprint.”
The consortium hopes that the cost savings an autonomous lorry could provide will speed up the adoption of zero emissions vehicles by the freight sector, reducing the sectors contribution to climate change.
HVS showcased its hydrogen powertrain in the form of a 5.5 tonne demonstrator in November last year.
The powertrain employs a fuel cell system and energy storage system to deploy electricity to its vehicle’s electric motors, controlled by its own advanced control system, SEMAS, which the company says will deliver ‘class-leading’ fuel cell efficiency and durability.
Read more: HVS showcases 5.5 tonne demonstrator vehicle
Did you know H2 View is recognised as an official partner of the Hydrogen Council?
This means we get exclusive columns, interviews and studies that you won’t find anywhere else. Along with our featured webinars and events, H2 View is the go to global platform for the hydrogen industry.
Become a subscriber today to make sure you don’t miss out. Already a subscriber? Log in here.