A HYDROGEN car demonstration took place at Monmouthshire council yesterday as the county is set to facilitate a first-of-its kind trial of the energy-efficient cars.

Monmouthshire's cabinet last week gave the go ahead for the 12-month trial of the Rasa which has a range of 300 miles, refills in five minutes and has "no cost premium" compared with a conventional car.

Powys-based Riversimple Movement will supply 20 hand-built hydrogen call cars for the use of residents in the county. Contracts ranging from three to six months will be offered to between 60 to 80 users of varying ages from within Monmouthshire and the surrounding areas.

A demonstration of the RASA hydrogen car was given at County Hall in Usk yesterday. The word Rasa is Latin for clean slate.

Councillor Phil Hobson, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member for sustainability said: “Monmouthshire County Council is really pleased to take part in a trial for the next generation of clean cars. This is another step towards the county’s sustainable future.”

Representing the company at the demonstration were Andre Bird, head of research and development, Hugo Spowers, company architect and technical director and Fiona Spowers, head of PR.

Riversimple was awarded a £2 million grant from the Welsh Government in 2015 to develop the Rasa as well as an EU grant of €2 million.

The short distances between towns in the county are said to be ideal for testing the cars, which are designed for local non-motorway use with a max speed of 60mph.