CitySprint and Renault trial hydrogen-powered van in London

CitySprint is trialling its first hydrogen powered van in London, working towards a goal of an emission-free fleet in the city by 2020.

The operator has developed the van with Renault, and its client Mitie will run the vehicle in the capital for the next six months.

CitySprint will compare the vans performance to that of other green vehicles on its fleet; the courier runs four electric vans and a fleet of cargo bikes in the city.

The new van has a range of 200 miles and runs on electricity generated by hydrogen reacting with oxygen within the vehicle. The only result of the chemical reaction is water.

CitySprint has also more than doubled its fleet of cargo bikes, and now runs a total of 22, each of which can carry the same 50kg load as a small van.

Each of the bikes, that carrier claims, saves 4 tonnes of GHG emissions a year and on average  completes delivery routes 50% faster than a small van.

CitySprint CEO Patrick Gallagher said: “Since the launch of our green fleet this August, we’ve already cut back on our CO2 emissions by as much as 10 tonnes. The trail of a hydrogen van is on a long list of environmentally friendly vehicles we have tested over the years.

“We hope that along with our growing cargo bike fleet, this can prove to be a sustainable option and continue our commitment to reducing air pollution across the UK cities we operate in.”

Last year CitySprint launched ASOS's same-day delivery service, ASOS Instant in London. The operator makes deliveries across the city for ASOS customers on the day they placed their order, and has since begun offering the service in Leeds and Manchester.