Photo: First Hydrogen
As the market for recreational vehicles continues to grow in both North America and Europe, with record sales and steady high demand in the past few years, manufacturers are upping their game, and competition is fierce. And considering drivers across the globe are now more concerned about their carbon footprint and interested in adopting greener fuel alternatives, it was only natural for fuel cells and biofuels to penetrate this segment as well.
First Hydrogen Corp, a Vancouver, Canada-based zero-emission vehicle manufacturer, sees this leisure vehicle market growth as an opportunity to shift consumers’ minds toward environmentally-friendly solutions and explore applications for alternative fuels across various vehicle classes, especially larger vehicles.
The company specializes in designing and manufacturing zero-emission vehicles, more specifically hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered light commercial demonstrator vehicles (LCV), under agreements with AVL Powertrain and Ballard Power Systems Inc.
After revealing images of its Generation II hydrogen fuel cell-powered van earlier this month, First Hydrogen has now taken the wraps off a concept for a zero-emission Recreational Vehicle (RV), which was designed in collaboration with EDAG Group.
“We are successfully demonstrating the potential fuel cell technology has in the LCV class but are exploring how the technology can benefit other sectors, including leisure vehicles,” said Steve Gill, CEO of Automotive for First Hydrogen. “Connecting with nature is incredibly important for recreational vehicle owners, and this concept indicates how a hydrogen vehicle could help people preserve the environment while enjoying van life.”
According to the company, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), and subsequently this hydrogen-powered RV, are designed to provide larger ranges and manage heavier payloads compared to battery electric vehicles. Moreover, they take considerably less time to refuel. These are all appealing prospects for RV owners as they use to travel long distances, and their paths often lead to places where refueling or charging stations are not so readily available.
Oftentimes, recreational vehicles are also equipped with various kitchen appliances like cookers, freezers, and water boilers. These auxiliary loads require energy to run, so BEVs need to be equipped with more battery cells to power them, leading to a higher overall vehicle weight, which in turn depletes the campervan’s energy faster. First Hydrogen promises their fuel cell electric vehicles successfully address this issue.
In terms of design, the campervan concept has been envisioned with a similar aesthetic to the company’s Generation II series. It has a clean look that prioritizes function, with a modern exterior and generous living quarters. Additionally, it boasts features that are useful for leisure vehicles, such as a large front windshield for optimized road visibility, good ground clearance for adventures in the wilderness, and good vehicle lighting for vehicle visibility while parked on the side of the road.
Sadly, only one image of the conceptual vehicle has been released so far, so we don’t know anything about the interior layout and utilization of space.
In its quest to find applications for alternative fuels in different vehicle classes, First Hydrogen is also working on concepts for vehicles with cargo boxes or capable of towing trailers.
The company specializes in designing and manufacturing zero-emission vehicles, more specifically hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered light commercial demonstrator vehicles (LCV), under agreements with AVL Powertrain and Ballard Power Systems Inc.
After revealing images of its Generation II hydrogen fuel cell-powered van earlier this month, First Hydrogen has now taken the wraps off a concept for a zero-emission Recreational Vehicle (RV), which was designed in collaboration with EDAG Group.
“We are successfully demonstrating the potential fuel cell technology has in the LCV class but are exploring how the technology can benefit other sectors, including leisure vehicles,” said Steve Gill, CEO of Automotive for First Hydrogen. “Connecting with nature is incredibly important for recreational vehicle owners, and this concept indicates how a hydrogen vehicle could help people preserve the environment while enjoying van life.”
According to the company, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), and subsequently this hydrogen-powered RV, are designed to provide larger ranges and manage heavier payloads compared to battery electric vehicles. Moreover, they take considerably less time to refuel. These are all appealing prospects for RV owners as they use to travel long distances, and their paths often lead to places where refueling or charging stations are not so readily available.
Oftentimes, recreational vehicles are also equipped with various kitchen appliances like cookers, freezers, and water boilers. These auxiliary loads require energy to run, so BEVs need to be equipped with more battery cells to power them, leading to a higher overall vehicle weight, which in turn depletes the campervan’s energy faster. First Hydrogen promises their fuel cell electric vehicles successfully address this issue.
In terms of design, the campervan concept has been envisioned with a similar aesthetic to the company’s Generation II series. It has a clean look that prioritizes function, with a modern exterior and generous living quarters. Additionally, it boasts features that are useful for leisure vehicles, such as a large front windshield for optimized road visibility, good ground clearance for adventures in the wilderness, and good vehicle lighting for vehicle visibility while parked on the side of the road.
Sadly, only one image of the conceptual vehicle has been released so far, so we don’t know anything about the interior layout and utilization of space.
In its quest to find applications for alternative fuels in different vehicle classes, First Hydrogen is also working on concepts for vehicles with cargo boxes or capable of towing trailers.
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