Vancouver, Canada and U.K.-based First Hydrogen Corp., manufacturer of hydrogen-powered vehicles, plans to deploy its zero-emissions light commercial vehicles (LCVs) to fleet customers in March, following completion of mileage accumulation and vehicle evaluations.

Evaluations are being conducted with powertrain specialists AVL Powertrain, which put the vehicles through a range of real-world duty cycles, including urban, rural and highways routes. Based on vehicle weight, battery size and powertrain energy consumption, First Hydrogen’s two LCVs have an expected range of 400-600 km (249-373 miles), depending on the route, on a single five-minute refueling.

Data collected from the two hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered vehicles (FCEV) will allow First Hydrogen to accurately determine fuel consumption and vehicle range in different driving scenarios.

The data allows comparison to simulations made for the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) testing, part of EU law. A global standard, WLTP is used by buyers and commercial fleet managers to compare vehicles’ energy consumption, emissions, and, for electric vehicles, range calculations.

First Hydrogen vans will be delivered for trials with major fleet operators in the U.K. as part of a program with the Aggregated Hydrogen Freight Consortium. These operational trials offer companies, including national supermarkets, utilities, roadside assistance and healthcare providers, the chance to experience zero-emission LCVs alongside their own fleets.

The test data will show “commercial vehicle owners and fleet managers the output they can expect in specific conditions and illustrates the financial benefits of switching to a FCEV,” said Stephen Pendrey, chief engineer, First Hydrogen.

The company is developing refueling capability, teaming with FEV Consulting GmbH, the automotive consultancy of FEV Group of Aachen Germany, and is pursuing opportunities in green hydrogen production and distribution in the U.K., EU and North America.