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AA announces a UK first as it launches a hydrogen fuel
cell roadside breakdown vehicle
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UK’s number one for EV’s evolves to showcase
capabilities of hydrogen for business
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The AA Hyundai NEXO is an example of how Patrol
vehicles will change to assist AA’s 13 million members in the
future
The AA has taken a radical step in the evolution of vehicle
technology within the breakdown sector by today (18th)
launching a hydrogen fuel cell breakdown vehicle at the British
Motor show in Farnborough.
Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) use a propulsion system like
that of electric vehicles, where energy stored as hydrogen
is converted to electricity by the fuel cell. Unlike conventional
internal combustion engine vehicles, these vehicles produce no
harmful tailpipe emissions. The only emissions are water.
Team AA has designed the NEXO to be an operational roadside
breakdown vehicle. It will carry most of the tools, equipment,
and spares that you would find on the rest of their yellow Patrol
fleet.
It will be targeted at breakdown jobs in ultra-low emission areas
that require fixes rather than tows.
The SUV type vehicle has a fuel cell system combines oxygen and
hydrogen to create a flow of electrons that powers the electric
drive motor and charges the 1.56kWh high voltage battery.
The NEXO can fuel up in just five minutes and has an impressive
range of 414 miles (WLTP) which is more than enough for city work
and potentially can handle many of the 10,000 daily breakdowns
attended by the UK’s leading breakdown provider.
More details about the vehicle here: All-New Hyundai NEXO | Hydrogen
Fuel Cell SUV
Edmund King, AA president, said: “The
discussions about carbon reduction and zero emission vehicles
have tended to concentrate on Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).
“At the AA we are investing in electric vehicles but believe that
there will be a role for hydrogen and possible synthetic fuels in
the future, especially for business fleets.
“We want Patrols to pilot this hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to see
what lessons we can learn. We believe hydrogen might be used for
our bigger tow trucks in the future.
“The AA Hyundai NEXO could be a perfect fit for Patrol work in
ultra-low emission zones, so we are looking forward to putting it
to work. We accept that the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure is
not currently extensive, and further work is needed on the
development of green hydrogen, but the 414-mile range makes the
vehicle viable for our needs.”
King continues: “As part of our ESG strategy we believe that
driving doesn’t have to cost the earth and we’re committed to
reducing our impact and supporting drivers to do the same. To
achieve this the AA has recently announced its commitment to
become Net Zero for our own emissions by 2035, including our
greenhouse gas emissions generated by our operational fleet which
are the AA’s most significant source of direct emissions.
“This is an ambitious target, as there isn’t yet a van in
production that can run on alternative fuel and meet all our
needs. We have tested many vehicles and will continue to trial
new technology as it becomes available while investing in
innovation that reduces our environmental impact. We’re also
partnering with others to help develop the tech that’ll make it
easier to transition to electric and lower carbon emission
vehicles.
“As part of this target we are rolling out electric vehicles
(EVs) into our operational fleets, where we can and trialling
other low carbon vehicles and technology
across our group, like hydrogen chargers and vehicles to gain
learning and understanding how these vehicles could be used in
the future.
“Our fuel cell vehicle launch at the British Motor Show today is
another step towards our technological and Net Zero future.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The AA is a member of the The
UK Aggregated Hydrogen Freight Consortium (AHFC), a
partnership of leading UK hydrogen industry and mobility
companies, working with large fleet operators to map
out a workable solution for hydrogen transport in the UK. Part
of the ZERFT (zero emissions road freight trials) programme,
comprising 20 projects focussed on helping the UK solve
challenges around zero emission road freight. The project is
being delivered by Element Energy, TRL and Toyota.
- We are aware that in September 2021 AAA Colorado announced it
was looking to introduce hydrogen fuel cell tow trucks but
doesn’t appear to have done so. The ADAC in Germany has also
tested a couple of hydrogen vehicles.
