Hydrogen cars hit the fast lane > Fuel Cell Dispatch

Hydrogen cars hit the fast lane

A PROJECT to ensure the UK is well positioned for the commercial roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles has been launched by Business Minister Mark Prisk.

The new programme – UKH2Mobility – brings together three Government departments and industrial participants from utility, gas, infrastructure and global car manufacturing.

They include Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Daimler, Tata and Vauxhall, who presented its fourth generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicle HydroGen4.

The group will evaluate the potential for hydrogen as a fuel for ultra low carbon vehicles in the UK before developing an action plan for an anticipated roll-out to consumers in 2014/15.

It aims to analyse in detail the specific UK case for the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles as one of a number of solutions to de-carbonise road transport and review the investments required to commercialise the technology.

Identifying what is required to make the UK a leading global player in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle manufacturing, and the economic opportunities created, is also a priority.

Speaking at the UKH2Mobility launch at the Royal Society, Prisk said: “The UK is proving itself to be a key early market for ultra-low emission vehicles with growing numbers of electric and plug-in hybrids appearing on our roads.

“The Government is supporting this market by investing £400million to support the development, demonstration and deployment of low and ultra-low emission vehicles.

“Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are increasingly being recognised as one of the viable options as we move to a lower carbon motoring future. They are highly efficient, can be fuelled in minutes, travel an equivalent range to a conventional combustion engine, and have zero tail-pipe emissions.

“The UK has a number of world class companies that are developing exciting technologies in both the hydrogen energy and automotive value chains and it is therefore vitally important that we identify what is required to make these cars a realistic proposition for UK consumers.

“UKH2Mobility will bring together industry expertise to establish the UK as a serious global player in the manufacture and use of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and the supporting infrastructure.”

And Toyota’s European chief Didier Leroy added: “In our quest for sustainable mobility Toyota is investing in a range of environmentally friendly technologies to address key issues such as energy supply and transport emissions.

“Alongside Hybrids, Plug-in Hybrid Electric and pure Electric Vehicles, we believe that Fuel Cell Vehicles, or FCVs, will play an important role in realising a low carbon society.

“We plan to commercialise Fuel Cell Vehicles in 2015 and to achieve this goal a hydrogen charging infrastructure will be required. That is why we welcome the establishment of the UKH2Mobility group to confirm the potential for hydrogen as a low carbon fuel in the UK.”

Toyota revealed its FCV-R Concept - a vision for a practical saloon-type fuel cell vehicle that is scheduled for launch in 2015 - at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

UKH2Mobility will deliver its evaluation of the potential of hydrogen as a transport fuel by the end of this year.

If the results are positive, an action plan will be developed to work through the steps needed to get the UK ready to be one of the first markets for the global commercial roll out of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles.

Source: Motors-Merseyside.co.uk