The Riversimple Rasa, a sleek, affordable 2 seat hydrogen fuel cell car capable of 250mpge will make an eco friendly appearance via Welsh Government at Cenex – LCV 2016, the UK’s premier low carbon vehicle event at Millbrook, Bedford on September 14 and 15.
The ecological car firm Riversimple Movement employs 23 at an R&D centre in Llandrindod Wells and is currently crowd funding for their Rasa (Latin for clean slate) to match a €2m EU grant.
Purpose designed from the ground up, with grant support and sustained collaborative assistance from the Welsh Government, and built with ‘ultimate vehicle efficiency’ in mind, the Rasa uses an 8.5kW hydrogen fuel cell rather than the 100+kW fuel cell used in other hydrogen vehicles. With a carbon composite chassis and fibre-glass body panels, the Rasa weighs 580kg and is capable of 250mpge on the official urban cycle.
Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates said:
“The Rasa is not only a highly innovative and technologically advanced vehicle but it is also superbly designed and a real show stopper. It’s a great advertisement for Welsh manufacturing and highlights the expertise and skills we have in Wales and illustrates how the Welsh Government is proactively supporting businesses with bright ideas.”
Riversimple founder Hugo Spowers said:
“The Welsh Government not only supported us with £2m towards the completion of the R & D and build of the Rasa, but continue to take an active interest in our future. Their commitment, interest and enthusiasm for what we are doing is very encouraging – we appreciate it hugely.”
LCV is run by Cenex, the UK’s first centre of excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies. The event attracts the decision makers of the UK industry, including all major stakeholders, key manufacturers, supply chain representatives and government officials.
Welsh Government will be there to showcase Wales’ strengths in the automotive and low carbon vehicles sector, and to promote Wales as a hotspot for investment in hydrogen. Substantial academic research into alternative fuels is also being undertaken in universities throughout Wales at the Low Carbon Research Institute(external link).
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