Ulemco, the company pioneering the adoption of ultra-low emission hydrogen-fuelled commercial vehicles in the UK, has delivered the first hydrogen dual-fuel van to online supermarket Ocado.

The vehicle is part of a wider programme to evaluate the use of Ulemco’s cleaner vehicles for the Ocado fleet.

Converted from a standard Mercedes Sprinter, the new van will go into immediate service from the Ocado spoke in West Drayton, making conventional deliveries of groceries to customers in the area. It uses the public hydrogen refilling stations that are already available in and around the capital.

“Ocado is committed to reducing vehicle emissions across its fleet,” said Graham Thomas, fleet services manager at Ocado. “Deployment of this first dual-fuel van represents an important step in developing our plans for cleaner, more efficient fleet operation. We’re particularly interested in ways to ensure we guarantee customer service and achieve the vehicle utilisation levels we currently experience with our conventional vans. Hydrogen dual-fuel looks like an option that can deliver both, and we’re excited to see how it performs in our world.”

“We are naturally delighted to see another major UK organisation recognise the role that hydrogen fuel can make to achieving cleaner cities. The practicality of converting standard commercial vehicle types has been proven in a growing number of OEM models,” said Amanda Lyne, CEO of Ulemco.