Wedoany.com Report-Mar 6, Explore Transport has secured the UK’s first Scania fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) prototype.
Pictured left to right: Warren Wilkinson (Explore), Tim Edwards (Scania UK), Bradley Cooper (Explore), Karima Haji (Scania Financial Services UK), David Cox (Explore), Chris Gatheridge (Explore), and Mark Penn (Scania UK).
Developed as part of what Scania calls its “Pilot Partner” programme, the hydrogen-powered prototype will enter Explore’s fleet in early next year (2026), providing real-world operational data on payload capacity, efficiency, and refuelling practicality to the haulage firm.
The vehicle will be deployed under the Zero Emission HGV Infrastructure Demonstrator Programme (ZEHID), funded by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK, which is supporting trials of zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in real-world conditions.
Explore Transport, in collaboration with M4 hydrogen corridor organisation HyHAUL, will assess hydrogen’s viability in the heavy haulage sector, where long range, high payload capacity, and rapid refuelling are essential.
Why Explore Transport is trialling hydrogen
Explore Transport operates in the construction, rail, aerospace, and nuclear sectors, where heavy loads and demanding duty cycles make choosing the right zero-emission technology critical.
The company believes hydrogen fuel cells could offer key advantages over other zero emissions technologies for its trucks, particularly in terms of payload capacity and uptime.
Chris Gatheridge, Operations Director at Explore, said: “We believe hydrogen has the potential to meet the unique demands of construction logistics, with the performance and capability to manage heavy loads.”
Unlike battery-electric trucks, which rely on large battery packs that increase vehicle weight and reduce payload capacity, hydrogen-powered HGVs maintain similar weight characteristics to diesel trucks, ensuring more cargo can be carried.
Furthermore, the types of loads that Explore delivers often involve operating in remote locations or on sites without access to charging infrastructure, making hydrogen’s fast refuelling capability a more practical solution.
Trucks can refuel in minutes rather than waiting hours for a charge, keeping vehicles in service without extended downtime.
Though this is all, obviously, hypothetical in nature and subject to having somewhere to refuel. But that is the same infrastructure challenge that electric trucks are facing too.
HyHaul is opening up a ‘cluster’ route on the M4 corridor in the UK to tackle this very problem and get the ball rolling with vehicles operating within that geography.
Scania’s hydrogen and electric trucks
Scania’s Pilot Partner programme is developing both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks, testing their suitability for different logistics applications.
The precise specifications of the Explore Transport fuel cell truck are yet to be fully detailed, as it’s still a prototype, but Scania’s existing electric platform features:
A 400kW electric motor
416kWh of onboard batteries
Explore says Scania’s hydrogen fuel cell truck is equipped with:
A hydrogen “fuel cell motor”
56kg of hydrogen storage, with an estimated range of up to 850km
Explore’s trial will help determine whether this combination of hydrogen and electric power is a workable alternative to diesel in real-world conditions.
The challenge of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure
While hydrogen fuel cell trucks offer potential benefits, infrastructure remains a key challenge.
Unlike diesel, which has an established refuelling network, hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK are still limited.
To address this, HyHAUL is working to develop a dedicated hydrogen refuelling network for HGVs.
The company plans to establish a hydrogen supply chain along the M4 corridor, including:
Three dedicated refuelling stations capable of dispensing up to two tonnes of hydrogen per day
A fleet of up to 30 hydrogen fuel cell trucks by 2026, scaling to 300 vehicles by 2030
Kyle Arnold, Managing Director at HyHAUL, said: “This initiative is a significant step forward in proving that hydrogen technology can meet the demanding needs of HGV transportation.”
Crucially, HyHAUL’s new refuelling stations will be designed to support both 350-bar hydrogen trucks and 700-bar hydrogen passenger cars, ensuring that future infrastructure benefits multiple vehicle types.
This addresses past issues where early hydrogen stations catered only to cars, limiting their usefulness for commercial fleets – arguably the most pressing and urgent hydrogen vehicle segment.
Scania’s hydrogen truck development
Scania has been cautiously developing hydrogen fuel cell trucks alongside its battery-electric offerings, recognising that different sectors require different zero-emission solutions.
Mark Bridgland, Sales Director at Scania UK, commented: “Seeing how our prototype FCEV truck performs for Explore day-to-day will be fascinating, plus it will provide us with invaluable insight and data.”
The truck will operate within Explore Transport’s fleet, testing whether hydrogen can deliver the efficiency, range, and reliability needed for delivering large-scale infrastructure projects.
Scania’s participation in hydrogen truck trials across Europe aligns with wider industry efforts to establish alternative fuel options for heavy-duty transport, particularly in areas where battery-electric power may not be viable.
Explore’s hydrogen truck is expected to enter service in Q1 2026, providing data on efficiency, refuelling practicality, and overall feasibility for construction logistics.
The trial will also help inform the UK’s wider hydrogen infrastructure strategy, demonstrating whether refuelling networks can scale fast enough to support growing fleet demand.
While hydrogen adoption in trucking is still in its early stages, government-backed initiatives like ZEHID and HyHAUL are laying the groundwork for a future where hydrogen-powered logistics could become a mainstream reality.
For now, Explore Transport’s move is another step in the right direction in putting hydrogen into practice – on the road, under load, and working hard.
