J001010 - Lycetts Newsletter Jan 2024 LR - Flipbook - Page 14
IS H Y DROGE N T H E F U E L
OF T H E F U T U R E?
Government’s commitment to remove petrol and diesel vehicles from our roads
by 2035 is raising questions over future power sources for vehicles.
Rupert
Wailes-Fairbairn
Divisional Director,
Newcastle
Current leaning is towards Battery Electric Vehicles
(BEVs) with 16 per cent of new car sales electric in
2023 and Government hoping for an increase to
22 per cent this year.
BEVs remain expensive to repair due to a limited
market for spare parts and high costs for dealers
because of an increased space requirement on fire
safety grounds. Battery components are costly and in
short supply and battery weight makes BEVs
inefficient in terms of power usage. Plus, we have yet
to conquer the problem of battery disposal. The UK’s
non standardised charging infrastructure remains
woefully inadequate, confusing, unreliable, and slow.
Additionally, the Red Sea shipping conflict is
impacting European EV production due to a lack of
parts. The situation is further exacerbated by a
Chinese monopoly on components. Yet BEVs remain
the preferred route for governments in Europe and
the UK.
Asia has greater interest in hydrogen as a potential
power source for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs),
classified as e-cars. Unlike BEVs, hydrogen cars have
an additional hydrogen tank and fuel cells which
utilise reverse electrolysis for hydrogen and oxygen
generated electrical energy, which is directed into the
electric motor and/or the battery, as required.
Hydrogen’s main advantages include zero emissions
and no carbon footprint when made from a green
energy. FCEVs additional advantages include a
charging time of between three to four minutes,
smaller and lighter batteries, and engine construction
more akin to the combustion engine, potentially
making it easier to develop the skilled workforce
required to build and maintain such vehicles. Both
have a similar range, but FCEVs don’t have the
complications associated with outside temperature.
Hydrogen is currently expensive to produce, although
can be made on site provided both electricity and
water are available. Costs will reduce as uptake
increases. Compression, cooling, transport and
storage are complex and expensive, while the UK
currently lacks the required infrastructure for its
sale. Creating this would require huge investment as
our existing 15 hydrogen stations are in locations not
suited to public use.
It will be many years before hydrogen cars become
a viable option in the UK. In the meantime, BEVs
remain the best choice for the move away from fossil
fuels. Yet many believe hydrogen-powered cars have
clear benefits, and news of a £2 billion Government
investment in research into green hydrogen
production suggests this technology is far from
abandoned.
ACC I DE N TS
C A N H A PPE N
Charles Orpwood
Account Executive,
Newcastle
A tragic accident which occurred on a shoot in
Lancashire last year serves as an important
reminder of the need for Health and Safety
compliance and to ensure your broker has all
the required details for any passenger carrying
trailer in use on a farm or estate.
The collapse of a temporary wooden bridge saw
both the trailer and the vehicle towing it plunge
into the river, resulting in the death of one person,
two with serious injuries, and several individuals
taken to hospital. Although released without
charge, two people were arrested following the
subsequent police investigation on suspicion of
manslaughter and gross negligence.
Most insurers will exclude passenger carrying trailers
from any policy unless full details of all vehicles have
been supplied, including the make and model of the
trailer, number of seats and maximum capacity.
It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure
compliance with all current Health and Safety
regulations, and failure to do so may well result in
the rejection of any claim. Infrequent use and use
only on private land will count for nothing in the
event of a claim.
The HSE website provides detailed guidance for
carrying passengers on farm trailers.
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