Frome’s MP David Warburton took a spin around Parliament this week in a low-carbon, hydrogen-fuelled car of the future, and is hoping to convince local businesses to begin using the hyper-efficient vehicles.
Developed with £2million of Government support, the ‘Riverside Rasa’ prototype is described as the most advanced hydrogen car in the world.
The Rasa uses an 8.5kW hydrogen fuel cell rather than the 85kW fuel cell used in other hydrogen vehicles. It weighs just 580kg and is capable of a massive 250mpg on the official urban cycle.
David Warburton said, “It was thrilling to experience the Rasa – the world’s most innovative low-carbon vehicle – and exciting to think that we really are on the brink of a hydrogen-fuelled motoring future.
“Recently I met with Sustainable Frome to discuss ways in which Frome businesses can explore options for sustainable transport, and I’m very keen that local organisations apply for the Fleet Support Scheme to help transition to hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. Also, I invited the developers of the Rasa to come to Frome to demonstrate the vehicle and meet with interested parties here.”
Developed by British sustainable engineering company Riversimple Engineering, the Rasa is powered by hydrogen fuel cells with a regenerative braking system to recapture energy that is stored in a bank of super capacitators to provide power for acceleration.
Achieving 0-60mph in 10 seconds, it takes just 5 minutes to re-fuel the Rasa with just 1.5 kilos of fuel, which can take the car more than 300 miles.
Last month, the Government launched a £2million fund to encourage more businesses to switch to hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.
The Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Fleet Support Scheme will allow authorities, health trusts, police forces, fire brigades and private companies to bid for funding to add hydrogen powered vehicles to their fleets. Public and private sector fleets can get up to 75% off the cost of zero-emission fuel cell electric vehicles.
The £2m fund, launched by the government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) could bring up to 100 more hydrogen fuel cell cars and vans onto our roads by next spring, the equivalent of tripling the number of vehicles currently in use.
The new fund comes after the government committed £5m in 2014 through the Hydrogen for Transport Advancement Programme for 12 hydrogen refuelling stations.
Bids for the FCEV Fleet Support Scheme must be submitted by Monday 4th July 2016. Successful bidders will be informed later this year.
For more information, go to www.gov.uk and search for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles.
