During the trials, the sweeper with a fuel cell propulsion system will be tested under everyday conditions.

Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH and the Swiss partner consortium hy.muve have unveiled the world's first street cleaning vehicle with a fuel cell propulsion system.

The compact sweeper from Bucher Schörling is 3.78 metres (12.4 feet) long, 1.28 metres (4.2 feet) wide and has a maximum laden weight of 4.5 tons. The fuel cell's nominal output is 20kw (27hp) and the vehicle's maximum speed is 40km/h (25mph). The vehicle can operate for over seven hours on a full tank. It is filled with 6.5kg of gaseous hydrogen at 350 bar.

According to Proton Motor, it takes less than 10 minutes to fill the vehicle's gas tank. Hydrogen is stored in pressurised canisters stowed behind the driver's cab.

The vehicle's propulsion concept involves replacing the conventional diesel engine with a fuel cell and battery system and the hydraulic drive train and operating hydraulics with electrical power drives.

The hybrid fuel cell propulsion system from hy.muve is a combination of a fuel cell and a lithium polymer battery. At its core is Proton Motor's 20kw PM Basic A 20 fuel cell system.

Proton Motor says using hybrid technology can result in energy savings of around 50% compared to a diesel propulsion system. The operation is also completely emission-free.

The sweeper has been delivered to the Civil Engineering Office in Basle, Switzerland that is responsible for street cleaning which will test the vehicle as its first operator. Over the next 18 months, the sweeper will be extensively tested in different Swiss cities.

During the practical trials, the sweeper's operating performance and durability will be tested under everyday conditions. The partners in the project aim to make the new technology a reality and to encourage the implementation of other hydrogen-fuelled applications.

The compact sweeper vehicle was sponsored by funds from Switzerland and is the result of a co-operation agreement between Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH and the companies Bucher Schörling, Messer Schweiz AG, Brusa Elektronik AG, the Swiss materials testing and research institute Empa and the Paul Scherrer Institute.

Bucher Schörling, a municipal street cleaning vehicle manufacturer, was responsible for the vehicle and system integration, Proton Motor supplied the fuel cell propulsion system and Empa, which also provided designs for the electrical propulsion system, headed the project.

Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH, based in Puccheim, near Munich, is a fuel cell specialist that focuses on back-to-base applications for forklifts, city buses and stationary solutions. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Proton Power Systems plc.