ELEVEN-year-old Cai Morgan-Gervis from Llangasty is hoping to become the youngest tester of the Rasa hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle being built in mid Wales.

Science enthusiast Cai, who is a Year 6 pupil at Christ College Brecon’s junior school St Nicholas House, has applied to Llandrindod-based car manufacturer Riversimple Movement Ltd for his family to be one of the car’s beta testers in trials coming up later this year.

Cai and his family were invited to learn more about the Rasa last week in Abergavenny.

The project, supported by Monmouthshire County Council and EU funding, has been organised by Riversimple to trial 20 of the prototypes for their innovative vehicle.

The Rasa has a range of 300 miles and refuels in just five minutes thanks to its sustainable design, four electric motors and low-powered hydrogen fuel cell.

The selected beta testers will take part in refining Riversimple’s service offering to the public ahead of the car’s launch.

Cai is following in the family footsteps, as his parents are founders and owners of one the largest sustainable building products companies in the country, Ty-Mawr Lime, and were very early adopters of one of the first Teslas – a fully electric car – in Wales.

Joyce Morgan-Gervis, Cai’s mum, said: “Cai has been inquisitive since the day he was born. He loves to discover and understand how things work. So I am sure, if we are chosen, he will help make a valuable contribution to the Rasa project with his observations. We are all really proud of him.”

Julie Lewis, head of St Nicholas House, said: “It is great to see that one of our students is taking such a proactive approach in learning about the potential that this exciting technology holds.”