Within the first in a collection of hydrogen-related quick movies, we sat down with Riversimple founder Hugo Spowers to debate the way forward for the choice gas.
Having devoted 20 years to constructing the sustainable automotive firm and 15 years previous to working as a motorsport engineer, the managing director had so much to say concerning the function that hydrogen gas should play for the world to achieve its sustainability targets, in addition to the imaginative and prescient behind Riversimple.
“We do far more with a lot much less,” says hydrogen motoring knowledgeable
Hugo started by explaining why he based the corporate and his thought course of behind designing the two-seat Rasa, which has turn into its most well-known car.
“I’d been within the atmosphere lengthy earlier than I acquired into motor racing,” he defined.
“However after 15 years in motorsport, I reached the conclusion that we wanted to eliminate combustion engines altogether.
“After I acquired out of motor racing, I discovered about hydrogen gas cells. And I realised that the expertise existed, but it surely’s such an enormous step from petrol engines – a lot larger than placing batteries into vehicles – that you simply wanted to design a distinct type of automotive across the traits of hydrogen technology.”
His resolution, the Rasa, is the fruits of a long time of analysis and improvement to create a brand new sort of car that fits the choice gas supply. The entrepreneur and engineer hailed it because the “most subtle gas cell energy practice on the planet” and, whereas “it’s not essentially the most mature, it’s far more subtle in that we do far more with a lot much less.”
While Riversimple has targeted on creating hydrogen-fuelled cars, Hugo defined that he’s not towards their electrical counterparts.
“We don’t argue about photo voltaic PVs or wind generators – which one’s going to win the renewable vitality race; they’re totally different and also you want them each. And the identical’s true of batteries and hydrogen,” he mentioned throughout the in-depth interview.
“I’ve big respect for battery vehicles they usually’re a vital a part of the combo.”
However the founder defined that we are able to’t rely on electrical vehicles alone. Pivoting to renewable vitality throughout industries requires a spread of minerals, comparable to lithium, cobalt and nickel, that are in brief provide however ever-increasing demand.
Electrical automotive manufacturing is dependent upon these supplies, and the minerals are additionally required for wind generators, photo voltaic PV, cellphones, in addition to many different fashionable applied sciences.
“We merely can’t afford to allocate 900kg of important supplies into an [electric] household automotive,” he added.
“We’ve acquired 1.5 billion vehicles on the planet. In the meanwhile solely 2.7% of these vehicles are electrical, and that features plug-in hybrids. So we’ve acquired to switch 97% of the world’s vehicles with zero-emission cars in some way. And if we expect we’re going to do this with batteries, we received’t have a planet left.
“We want hydrogen automobiles as a result of you’ll be able to deal with the longer-range applications that require a excessive depth of important supplies with none of these important supplies.”
Watch the total video to seek out out Hugo Spower’s ideas on the problems with hydrogen, the industries the place it’s doing effectively, and far more.
Hydrogen automotive insurance coverage with Adrian Flux
We’re one in every of only a few insurance coverage corporations within the UK that supply hydrogen car insurance in addition to cowl for electric and hybrid vehicles.
With a workforce made up of many automotive lovers, it’s no shock that we wish to present our help for hydrogen, which maintains the sound and really feel of a conventional inside combustion engine car whereas additionally serving to the nation attain web zero.
Should you’re eager about getting a hydrogen car, name us on 0800 369 8590 for a quote, or book a callback at a time that fits you.
