TV presenter and electric vehicle enthusiast Jodie Kidd has put her support behind hydrogen vehicles, predicting that major progression will be made in the coming years.
The model, TV personality and racing driver has been a massive advocate for electric vehicles, helping to launch the Kia EV9 family car last summer.
However, Jodie Kidd has also spoken honestly about her feelings of the future of clean motoring, suggesting that other alternative fuels could be suitable.
She has also highlighted issues with the current system of using electric vehicles including the national charging infrastructure.
Jodie Kidd said hydrogen vehicles are 'the way forward'
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Kidd has described her beliefs as “a bit controversial” when she was questioned on her thoughts on electric vehicles.
Speaking on the Fuelling Around podcast, she said: “I think hydrogen will be the way forward, I really do.
“I think that it will come to a point where we’ll be able to keep our cars and there will be some sort of brilliant genius that’s going to come up and put an adapter into the hydrogen and into the engine. This is my dream and it will happen, someone has to do it.
“Also there’s so many bad stories, and knowledge that people now know, about lithium (batteries) not being much more environmentally friendly than just having a car that might be hybrid.”
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are becoming more common in the UK, with buses, HGVs and cars being seen on the road, with plans to build more hydrogen refuelling stations in the near future.
Rather than containing a battery pack, the vehicles have a hydrogen tank and fuel cell. Water is the only waste emission and drivers only need to spend around three to five minutes, similar to a petrol or diesel vehicle.
Jodie Kidd said she tries to “outdo” herself with environmental actions to reduce emissions after highlighting the “horrific weather” caused by climate change.
Despite being a massive advocate for electric vehicles, the former presenter of Channel 5’s The Classic Car Show said new measures were needed to stimulate sales.
She said: “With the electric infrastructure, rurally it’s impossible. I’ve had friends who are really desperate and went into EVs and the infrastructure, the amount of different charging areas.
“You spend literally hours a day either going off from where you’re supposed to be going because you’ve got to go miles away to find a point and then you spend god knows how long because you’ve got some kind of dribble of electricity happening in this gas station.”
Kidd, who owns The Half Moon pub in Kirdford, West Sussex, said charging points remain an issue, prompting her to install new chargers outside her pub.
There are currently 55,301 charging devices across the UK as experts predict the UK will see the installation of the 100,000th charger next year.
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The Government is aiming to have 300,000 public chargers by the end of the decade to match the demand ahead of the 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans.
Jodie Kidd concluded, saying: “If it was easier living in the country, 100 per cent I think [electric vehicles are] brilliant.
“The biggies are coming out with some extraordinary-looking machines that are going to be very exciting to drive.
“That instant power is mind-boggling. I’m an advocate and if you have that time in your life, then brilliant, well done.”