Rishi Sunak's net zero focus on electric cars means the UK is 'squandering' a chance to be the world leader in hydrogen, a top businessman has warned today.
The Prime Minister is "ignoring the hydrogen opportunity” as the US surges ahead with investment in vehicles powered by the gas, according to Lord Bamford, one of the Conservative Party's biggest donors and chairman of JCB.
In a press release, published in The Telegraph today, he attacked Mr Sunak's decision to rely on battery technology as “short-sighted", saying it risked harming British manufacturing and leading to the loss of jobs.
Aberdeen is one of the UK cities looking to benefit from Hydrogen car manufacturing.
Riversimple - the company behind the pioneering Rasa hydrogen vehicle (pictured) - is currently considering locating a 150,000sq ft manufacturing plant in the North-east, creating 800 jobs in the process.
'Short-sighted'
Lord Bamford praised Joe Biden for supporting the likes of US truck maker Cummins as part of efforts to harness hydrogen power.
The American President visited Cummins' factory earlier this week and said that “trucks made in America with zero emission engines will be powered by clean hydrogen”.
Lord Bamford said: “We need a similar commitment from the UK Government to ensure that the hydrogen opportunity can be harnessed in this country, while helping to tackle climate change.
“While the US President is actively promoting the merits of hydrogen as a clean energy in the USA, with visible support for the likes of Cummins as they set out to make low- to zero-carbon engines, the UK Government seems intent on ignoring the hydrogen opportunity in this country, instead choosing to rely on battery-electric technology as the only viable route to zero emissions.
“This is short-sighted and risks destroying established supply chains and causing job losses in the British engine industry.”
Aberdeen dreams
The Riversimple plant in Aberdeen would produce over 5,000 vehicles per year. The company is currently beta testing a small fleet of Rasas, with a new car also under development for production.
The company’s founder, Hugo Spowers, believes the two-seater eco coupe is “the most energy efficient car on the planet”, and the BBC’s Top Gear has billed it as “the car which wants to save the world”.
Oxford University trained engineer and entrepreneur Mr Spowers – who was made an MBE in June last year – has visited the North-east of Scotland on several occasions to scope out potential sites after initially being invited by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
Click here to read more about the plans.