A POWYS-based company actively seeking to go into large-scale production of zero emission vehicles in the next three years will be showcasing their plans at the United Nations Climate Change Conference this week.

Riversimple, based in Llandrindod Wells, announced that “the future has never looked so green” today (November 1) ahead of an appearance at COP26 in Glasgow, where they will be showcasing the next generation of zero emission vehicles.

Manufacturers of hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles, Riversimple signed a memorandum of understanding with industrial giants Siemens earlier this year, which will see the company focus on regional skills development and preparation for commercial production of their Rasa hydrogen car by 2024.

It is hoped the investment could result in the creation of around 220 direct skilled jobs, with plans to produce 5,000 vehicles per year by 2024.

In a video posted on the Planet Mark YouTube page on October 26, managing director Hugo Spowers spoke of the “systematic elimination of the environmental impact of personal transport” being the purpose of Riversimple.

“We are set up with an environmental agenda and we have a duty and responsibility to pursue it,” he said.

“The one metric is efficiency; we want to make a step change in the efficiency with which we move around and for these cars to do the equivalent of petrol cars doing 250 miles to the gallon.

“Climate change and carbon are now principal constraints that drive the development of human society and the business environment going forward. And that completely changed frame of reference means we need to develop entirely different models and change multiple things.”

COP26 is the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) and is the first time that parties are expected to commit to enhanced ambition since COP21, held in 2015.

To tackle climate change and its negative impacts, world leaders in Paris six years ago reached a breakthrough with the historic Paris Agreement, which set long-term goals to guide all nations.

The legally binding international treaty included the substantial reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions and to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius and to provide financing to developing countries to mitigate climate change.

And Mr Spowers says that although politicians are key figures, it is up to businesses to lead the way towards a brighter future.

“The onus is on business to initiate change,” he said.

“Politicians will support activities moving toward a sustainable future but they’re not in a position to drive that change. So business is the key to unlocking a sustainable future and if we can do that there is no limit to our ability to create a quality of life on this planet inside a net zero envelope.”

Back in July, the Prince of Wales paid a visit to Riversimple’s Ddole Road Industrial Estate premises to test drive the Rasa.

His Highness was in Powys as part of a week-long programme of royal visits across Wales and is said to be very knowledgeable on the future of sustainable motoring – he has been driving a wine-powered Aston Martin for well over a decade.