The Royal Mail is trialling its first dual fuel hydrogen van at its Altens delivery office in Aberdeen.
The project marks the first time that hydrogen has been trialled in the company’s fleet in more than a decade.
The dual fuel converted Ford Transit van has been provided to the city council as part of the EU-funded Civitas Portis project.
The preliminary trial - set to run for 12 months - will determine if hydrogen is operationally suitable within Royal Mail’s fleet. The 3.5 tonne vehicle can travel up to 120 miles in dual fuel mode.
James Baker, chief engineer and fleet director at Royal Mail, said: “Hydrogen is viewed by many as a vital source of future sustainable energy, so is a perfect addition to our program of initiatives that enable us to assess ways of achieving this, while allowing us to continue to deliver letters and parcels safely, efficiently and responsibly.”
Aberdeen City councillor Philip Bell added: “Aberdeen is already a global leader in pioneering transport technologies and we at Aberdeen City Council have demonstrated our commitment to innovation by helping fund in partnership, the world’s first hydrogen-powered double decker buses.”
