Transport is vital to our economy and way of life. For decades, internal combustion engine vehicles have delivered great economic and social success, but more lately require legislative changes to improve air quality for health.

Driven by an ever-greater knowledge of environmental effects, the UK has now legislated for net zero carbon by 2050 -- and thereby for zero transport emissions across all vehicle applications.

Hydrogen FC vehicles offer the advantages of zero harmful tailpipe emissions with minimal compromise on range, refuelling time and payload relative to petrol, diesel and battery-electric vehicles, for many vehicle applications.

Project ESTHER secures the UK's position at the vanguard of a global hydrogen fuel cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) market and in the race to zero transport emissions. Centred on the intrinsically advantageous evaporatively cooled fuel cell system from Intelligent Energy (IE), IE, with Alexander Dennis, Changan and Lyra Electronics, will set-up a UK fuel cell production capability to deliver large passenger car, bus and heavy-duty transport zero emissions drivetrain solutions.

A modular fuel cell system will be designed for manufacture, integrated and tested for the transport market. Heavy duty applications in the UK, and passenger car markets in China will subsequently be supplied. Starting with the installation of the pilot manufacturing capability at IE and the related supply chain, fleet trials and manufacturing growth are enabled for ADL's hydrogen powered bus product and Changan's passenger vehicles.

The UK R&D market will also support and grow the fuel cell electric vehicle R&D supply chain.

As an outcome, Changan UK will be established as a centre of excellence for zero emissions R&D to counter a change in the work content for hybridised powertrains and will disseminate FCEV know-how and developmental needs with innovation centres, consultancies and R&D establishments.

For ADL, the option is opened to work toward placing UK fuel cell systems technology in zero emission transport solutions for their hydrogen powered double-deck busses, alongside, or as a replacement for, external sourcing.