A two-seater, hydrogen powered car from Wales which can reportedly cover 300 miles on one tank of fuel has been presented at the 2016 London Motor Show.
The car is called the RASA and comes from the manufacturer Riversimple, based in Llandrindod Wells. A small, two-seater coupe with a sleek and sporty design and even gull-wing doors, the RASA has been in development for some time now and images and details were released earlier this year.
0-62mph in ten seconds
The London Motor Show this year, however, has given this project a platform for much wider UK public exposure and could prove a shot in the arm for the future of hydrogen fuel cell cars in Britain.
Powering the RASA is an 8.5kW hydrogen fuel cell which is much smaller than the 85kW fuel cell used by most other hydrogen road cars nowadays. The cell in the RASA, taken from a forklift truck, produces 11bhp. The top speed is 60mph but the car can sprint from zero to 60mph in just ten seconds.
Built on a carbon composite chassis and using sleek, fibre-glass body panels, the RASA weighs a mere 580kg – about half the weight of a modern day supermini.
Production models due in 2018
Riversimple says the RASA hydrogen car is capable of 250mpg and can travel for up to 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen.
Towards the end of this year, Riversimple plans to trial 20 prototypes of the RASA on UK roads before rolling out production models by 2018.
During the London Motor Show, it was revealed that when the RASA eventually launches, Riversimple plans to sell contracts for drivers to use the vehicle, rather than actually sell the vehicle itself.
