Company car driver interest in hydrogen vehicles is increasing, according to research by Venson Automotive Solutions.
It said 37% of drivers surveyed said they would consider both hydrogen and electric vehicle options when choosing their next company car, if the charging or refuelling infrastructure was in place.
Venson also found that 30% would only consider electric, and 22% would only consider hydrogen.
It said these figures had increased from a similar survey carried out in 2021, which found that 11% would have considered hydrogen and 18% electric.
The new findings come despite extreme current limitations to both hydrogen car model availability and infrastructure.
The new survey also found support for other fuel types, with 50% of drivers asked saying they would also consider biodiesel, 37% biogas, 30% compressed air, 29% ethanol, and 23% LPG.
Growth potential
Venson client management director Simon Staton said: “While hydrogen-powered cars, also known as fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), may be relatively rare on UK roads today, they have the potential to grow rapidly in popularity in the next few years, if the refuelling infrastructure can be suitably extended.
“Interestingly, 62% of respondents believe vehicle manufacturers should be investing the same amount of time and money in bringing hydrogen cars to UK roads, as they are with electric cars.
“Clearly fleet drivers are keen to do their bit to reduce their environmental impact, and hydrogen could be a more convenient refuelling option than electric for many people in future. Certainly, fleet managers looking to cut fleet emissions should not exclude hydrogen from their long-term plans in favour of hybrid and electric vehicles readily available today.
“It is early days for hydrogen fleets, but increasing investment in the relevant technology and refuelling networks will increase the appeal of FCEVs.”
In a recent white paper, Venson looked at the role hydrogen power will play in transitioning to greener mobility, as well as the current challenges stalling more rapid progress.
Staton said: “Hydrogen could be a game-changer in the near future. Although electric is increasingly being adopted across fleets of cars and to some extent vans, electric is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It is certainly not the best option for large vehicles.
“Hydrogen fuel cell technology could be a realistic green alternative for many fleets of HGVs and other large commercial vehicles if the right investment is made in the all-important refuelling infrastructure.”
