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Hydro-Genius: Have We Found A Potential Courier Emissions Solution?

Reducing carbon emissions is a difficult business, particularly in the courier industry where driving long distances on the roads is a given. Several new solutions are being tried and tested, but hydrogen is one of the most recent alternatives to be put forward. Could this be the answer to reducing fossil fuel consumption?
The Future of Fuel

As yet, there are no vehicles powered solely by this chemical element that are commercially available, but manufacturers are looking towards producing them in the near future. At the moment, hybrids are being used, which combine compressed hydrogen with either petrol or diesel to power the automobile.

How does it Work?

To power a vehicle using hydrogen, it must either be burnt in an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) or used through a Fuel Cell. Currently, for Internal Combustion Engine Diesel hybrids (known as ICED’s), the compressed hydrogen is stored in tanks and then used in combination with diesel or petrol. There is a small number of these ‘green’ vans which are available at present, but many more are still in production as manufacturers work towards reducing emissions by 70%.

For Fuel Cell Vehicles, (FCVs) the hydrogen fuel is used to generate electricity which powers the automobile. For this option, car and bus models are available, but unfortunately no van models have been manufactured, so this is not yet a viable option for a courier driver.

The Pros

• If the hydrogen in a hybrid runs out, the automobile will simply operate on the diesel as a conventional van would. • Having a green vehicle could help you avoid taxes and fines, particularly since the government are becoming increasingly concerned with pollution. Regulations are likely to become stricter in the future, so a hybrid will probably be an excellent investment in the long run. • Hybrids are extremely similar to standard diesel vans in terms of how they are to drive, so if you are a courier driver, they will feel similar to operate. • The load space is not affected by the added storage tanks. • Tailpipe emissions are lower than diesel automobiles.

The Cons

• ICED’s still produce harmful emissions such as carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, so are not completely eco-friendly. • There are currently just 13 refuelling stations in the UK for hybrid cars. This limits operation ranges since a courier driver would have to stay within a relatively close range to these stations. • Payload would be slightly reduced due to the storage tanks.

If you are a courier driver and keen to move forward to a hybrid van, it may be a few more years before it would be an effective choice for your business. Being limited by the proximity of the refuelling stations is certainly not ideal, but the possibility of having an eco-friendly fleet is something you can definitely look forward to.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world’s largest neutral trading hub for same day courier drivers in the express freight exchange industry. Over 5,400 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.

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Renault Delivers Second Generation Electric Truck Range

Renault has announced its second generation of electric trucks, suited for all types of haulage work, which will be available before the end of 2018. With concerns about air quality, particularly in urban areas, and global CO2 levels at an all-time high, this is a well-timed launch that will help hauliers make the switch to electric vehicles.
This article will give a brief overview of the range, and perhaps persuade you to think about making the change to a fully electric vehicle in the next few years.

Renault and Electric Vehicles

Renault has been working on hybrid and electric vehicle technology for an entire decade. They describe themselves as experts in the field, offering a huge range of options for their customers, as well as plenty of support to help people transition to the new tech.

What is on Offer?

With the range offering vehicles suitable for all kinds of haulage work, from last mile to refuse collection, Renault is putting forward the widest choice of electric vehicles ever. The range includes trucks with weights from 3.1 tonnes to 26 tonnes. The Master ZE will be available in autumn 2018, with panel van and platform cab variants, however, if you want to use the Renault Trucks 16t D ZE and 26t D Wide ZE for your haulage work, you’ll have to wait until the end of 2019. The 16t D ZE model is well-suited to temperature-controlled deliveries and haulage work in urban areas.

All models have zero tailpipe emissions of CO2 and local pollutants. Alongside the environmental benefits, these trucks come fitted with a variety of useful tech, such as a reversing camera and a reversing radar system.

The Practicalities

• Compliance: The trucks are fully compliant, even in urban areas, as they do not emit CO2 or local pollutants. They are also very quiet, reducing congestion during the day by allowing out-of-hours deliveries. • Charging: Batteries for different models have different charge times, though all are fairly practical, allowing easy overnight charging. The Master ZE range takes six hours to charge the batteries, which are located under the front seats. These batteries have an operating range of roughly 190 miles. The D ZE trucks with lithium batteries can be fully charged in just a couple of hours using the 150kW Combo CCS connector. With AC charging, batteries need 12 hours. AC charging may be more practical for those just getting started with electric vehicles, as a three-phase 380V 32A industrial power socket can be used. • Cost: With the impressive technological advances made in electromobility over the past few years, investing in an electric vehicle has become economically feasible for hauliers. They are certainly the future and Renault has made electromobility a viable option for small and large operations alike.

For those involved in haulage work, the time has never been better to switch to electric. With this new range, Renault has made taking that decision significantly easier, so why not give it some serious consideration?

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage work with available drivers. Over 5,400 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.

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India’s agriculture export subsidy programs come under WTO lens

India’s farm subsidy programs occurred under the scanner at the World Trade Organization (WTO) during the country’s trade policy review (TPR), with fellows such as Canada, the US and Australia complaining that India has not declared its agricultural export subsidies for more than eight years. In this article, we will talk about India’s agriculture export subsidy policies.
Notification on India’s agriculture export subsidy programs

As we know Quarterly Returns with Monthly Payment Scheme is crucial for subsidy policies obtained under the scanner at the World Trade Organization (WTO) during the country’s trade policy analysis. With units such as Canada, the US and Australia disagreeing that India has not declared its agricultural export subsidies for more than eight years, while Brazil held that India’s longstanding assistance criteria for sugar have quelled global prices by up to 25%.

Translating units’ appreciations against India’s farm subsidy policies, the WTO chairperson confessed the high level of government intervention in the agriculture sector was a furious point for members.

Further, Members anticipated the significance of the region in aiding livelihoods and food security. Also, they obliged India to reform its agricultural policies that proceeded to be based on crucial levels of domestic and export support for key crops, containing subsidies for particular crops such as sugar and inputs.

Additional Announcement by WTO

The US complains that the government programme to acquire food products from farmers at minimum support prices distorts domestic market prices and incentivizes over-production of commodities such as rice and wheat.

While praising India’s recent record of WTO notifications, Canada also disseminated concern over the lack of transparency in India’s Agri export subsidies. One area where we encourage India to do further work is concerning its agriculture export subsidies notifications where its last announcement was for 2009.

India in its explanation to the WTO members over the concerns put up asserted the relief provided is large to small and frontier farmers and is in agreement with India’s commitments at the WTO.

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