Battery electric is the future of transportation according to many vehicle  manufacturers, but interestingly one of the biggest motoring organisations see things a little differently. The AA in the UK intends to use hydrogen fuel cell roadside breakdown vehicles in the shape of the Hyundai NEXO to attend non recovery breakdowns in ultra-low emission zones.

The hydrogen vehicle was unveiled at the British Motor show in Farnborough earlier this month and features a fuel cell system that combines oxygen and hydrogen to create a flow of electrons that powers the electric drive motor and charges the 1.56kWh high voltage battery. The vehicle can be fully refuelled in just 5minutes and has a range of 660km (WLTP). 

Edmund King, AA president, said, “At the AA we are investing in electric vehicles but believe that there will be a role for hydrogen and possible synthetic fuels in the future, especially for business fleets.We want patrols to pilot this hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to see what lessons we can learn. We believe hydrogen might be used for our bigger tow trucks in the future.”

Edmund added, “We have tested many vehicles and will continue to trial new technology as it becomes available while investing in innovation that reduces our environmental impact.We’re also partnering with others to help develop the tech that’ll make it easier to transition to electric and lower carbon emission vehicles.”