Viritech’s latest project will assess the feasibility of developing a hydrogen fuel cell range extender (REX) to augment the range of light on-and-off highway electric vehicles

Viritech is delighted to confirm that it has commenced a new study to determine the potential use of a hydrogen fuel cell range extender (REX) for on-and-off highway electric vehicles. The project, supported by a grant from The Department for Business and Trade (DBT), through The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) and Niche Vehicle Network, aims to establish the feasibility of deploying portable FCs in niche vehicle mobility applications to meet current regulations and automotive duty cycle requirements.

To date, the use of fuel cells as range extenders has only been utilised in medium to heavy commercial vehicles. However, Viritech believes that there is significant market potential in the deployment of portable fuel cells as range extenders for L-Cat vehicles to increase their potential use cases and capability.

Currently, battery electric last mile delivery vehicles are restricted in terms of their range, particularly when faced with challenging use cases such as extreme weather conditions, congested urban areas and undulating terrains. Furthermore, the addition of larger, more powerful batteries to offset these issues have an upshot of additional weight, reduced payload capacity and a potential failure to meet regulatory requirements.

By utilising well proven and cost-effective portable fuel cells in conjunction with the vehicles existing battery pack, Viritech aims to develop a first-of-its-kind and commercially viable zero-emissions solution for niche vehicle mobility applications. In doing so, it intends to establish a gateway for creating an entirely new market for fuel cell technology to further accelerate the global transition to zero emissions mobility.

Timothy Lyons, CEO & Founder of Viritech said, Viritech is delighted to be undertaking this project and exploring the potential to accelerate the decarbonisation of a notoriously challenging segment of the automotive sector. The support of The Department for Business and Trade, The Advanced Propulsion Centre and The Niche Vehicle Network is vital to British technology companies such as Viritech, enabling us to redefine the art of the possible in solving the challenges of zero-emissions mobility.

As part of the project, Viritech will now be actively seeking to engage with L-Cat vehicle OEM's and last mile delivery operators to discuss how the FC REX powertrain can support their specific requirements. If you're a vehicle operator looking for a viable and cost-effective zero emissions solution, please contact us at tuur.knevels@viritech.co.uk

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Notes to Editors:

About Viritech
Viritech is a cleantech company committed to putting hydrogen power at the centre of the world's zero-emission future by delivering hydrogen engineering solutions and technologies for the automotive, aerospace, marine, and distributed power sectors.
Located at the world-renowned automotive research and development centre, HORIBA MIRA, in the UK, Viritech offers a growing range of industry-leading energy management products and powertrain integration engineering services.
For more information, visit www.viritech.com

About The Niche Vehicle Network (NVN)
The Niche Vehicle Network is a free to join networking and support organisation focused on enabling UK low volume vehicle manufacturers and design and engineering companies to research and develop innovative zero tailpipe emission vehicle technologies. The Network is funded by the Department for Business and Trade, The Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK.
For more information go to www.nichevehiclenetwork.co.uk