First Hydrogen Corp is a new player in the light commercial vehicle segment with ambitious plans for the European market. This month, T&BB spoke to Allan Rushforth, Chief Commercial Officer of First Hydrogen Automotive, about the company’s current and future strategy.

Canada / UK – In July, testing began for a new range of fuel-cell electric vehicles. The demonstrator vehicles are MAN eTGE vans which have been retrofitted with a proprietary fuel cell propulsion system. Deliveries to customers – of which there are so far thirteen interested parties – are scheduled for the first quarter of next year in the UK. 

The firm which is responsible, however, for developing the technology, installing the propulsion system, and testing the vehicles is not a British company but a Canadian one. Though a UK-based subsidiary was opened earlier this year, First Hydrogen Corp is based in Vancouver and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. (The firm is also listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and its shares are traded over-the-counter in New York.) It is an international company, with executives based in both North America and Europe. Allan Rushforth is himself based in the UK, as is CEO for First Hydrogen Automotive, Steve Gill. The automotive division’s Chief Financial Officer is an Italian living in Vienna, while the energy division has staff in Canada and the Netherlands. According to Rushforth, the leadership team combines “blue-chip” business expertise with experience in setting up successful start-ups.