Sainsbury’s floats hydrogen power

Sainsbury’s is to trial a hydrogen fuel cell powered refrigerated truck. Based on an Iveco ‘glider’ chassis, the trial vehicle has been funded by the UK government’s Road to Hydrogen project. It features a Solomon Slipstream refrigerated body with an aero-dynamic Kamm tail.

Ben Smith, MD of Electra Commercial Vehicles, said: “We have created this 19-tonne truck with four type-three cylinders providing it with a capacity of 20 kg of hydrogen at 350 bar.

“Fitted with a Proton Motors HY45 fuel cell, the vehicle will have an operating timescale of 9-10 hours, after which it can come back to base needing a quick refill of hydrogen so that it can be double shifted. It’s an example of genuine innovation that will help operators transition to authentic zero-emission transport.”

Anthony Clegg, sales director of Solomon Commercials, said: “It’s an exciting project to be involved in and will shape the future of road transport, helping many commercial operations make the switch to zero-emissions easier.

“Our business has been built on innovation, and this is a natural step for us to work on UK firsts projects, which help push our industry forward. It’s a fantastic example of innovation in UK manufacturing.”

Ben Smith added: “The tried-and-tested FCEV combinations we built have demonstrated that an eight-hour operational multi-drop urban shift is easily achievable.”

The Carrier Iceland Split Refrigeration System is also powered by hydrogen with an EV Powerbox inverter. The eCargo FCEV from Electra also uses technology from Element 2 to provide hydrogen refuelling.