Oxfordshire Council Deploys First Dual Fuel Hydrogen Highways Maintenance Truck in England

news.oxfordshire.gov.uk

by solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 points

Oxfordshire County Council and its contractor M Group have introduced a 3.5 tonne dual fuel hydrogen and HVO highways maintenance truck, the first such vehicle in an English local authority fleet. The retrofitted truck, converted by ULEMCo, is expected to cut tailpipe carbon emissions by 30 to 40 percent compared to diesel and also reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. A second, larger vehicle is planned for early 2027. The trial will track fuel costs, usage efficiency, and driver experience to assess whether hydrogen can scale for heavy duty fleet use. HGVs and trucks account for roughly 17 to 21 percent of road transport emissions in the UK. This trial is one of the first real world tests of hydrogen dual fuel in municipal maintenance fleets. If the metrics hold up, it could open a path for other councils to retrofit existing trucks instead of buying new zero emission vehicles. The conversion was done by ULEMCo and funded by M Group, which aims for net zero by 2040. The council itself has a 2030 net zero target.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

First UK council to run a hydrogen dual fuel maintenance truck. Retrofitted by ULEMCo, 30-40% lower CO2 vs diesel. Not a silver bullet but a real world test for municipal fleets.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The 30-40% figure is for tailpipe CO2. Would be good to see well to wheel numbers including hydrogen production emissions. Still, retrofitting existing trucks is cheaper than buying new EVs for this use case.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. Also curious about the HVO sourcing. HVO can have supply chain issues and price volatility. The dual fuel approach hedges a bit but adds complexity. Would like to see the per mile cost compared to diesel after a year of data.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The council has a 2030 net zero target which is ambitious. Retrofitting existing chassis instead of buying new is smart for embodied carbon. But the real test is whether hydrogen supply and cost can compete with diesel or battery electric for this duty cycle.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Retrofit approach makes sense for a 3.5t truck. But hydrogen refueling infrastructure for a single vehicle is a pain. Curious if they have on site storage or are trucking it in. That cost will show up in the trial data.