Reducing carbon emissions is a difficult business, particularly in the courier industry where driving long distances on the roads is a given. Several new solutions are being tried and tested, but hydrogen is one of the most recent alternatives to be put forward. Could this be the answer to reducing fossil fuel consumption?
The Future of Fuel
As yet, there are no vehicles powered solely by this chemical element that are commercially available, but manufacturers are looking towards producing them in the near future. At the moment, hybrids are being used, which combine compressed hydrogen with either petrol or diesel to power the automobile.
How does it Work?
To power a vehicle using hydrogen, it must either be burnt in an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) or used through a Fuel Cell. Currently, for Internal Combustion Engine Diesel hybrids (known as ICED’s), the compressed hydrogen is stored in tanks and then used in combination with diesel or petrol. There is a small number of these ‘green’ vans which are available at present, but many more are still in production as manufacturers work towards reducing emissions by 70%.
For Fuel Cell Vehicles, (FCVs) the hydrogen fuel is used to generate electricity which powers the automobile. For this option, car and bus models are available, but unfortunately no van models have been manufactured, so this is not yet a viable option for a courier driver.
The Pros
The Cons
If you are a courier driver and keen to move forward to a hybrid van, it may be a few more years before it would be an effective choice for your business. Being limited by the proximity of the refuelling stations is certainly not ideal, but the possibility of having an eco-friendly fleet is something you can definitely look forward to.
Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier drivers in the express freight exchange industry. Over 5,400 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.