4.10.2012 EU Hydrogen Road Tour comes to UK

Four international car manufacturers have joined forces to demonstrate hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). A total of 7 FCVs from Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota are touring the UK as part of the European Hydrogen Road Tour 2012.

The event aims to improve awareness around FCVs and their benefits, as well as how the UK needs to develop in order to accommodate a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. While the technology exists for hydrogen vehicles today, there is a real need to improve hydrogen distribution infrastructure. This tour also marks the most widespread effort to promote FCVs in Europe to date.

During the Road Tour, the FCVs will be visiting Copenhagen, Hamburg, Hannover, Bolzano and Paris, before heading to the UK cities of Cardiff, Bristol, Swindon and London, supported by local organisations in each city. Next Green Car met up with the Tour in Bristol and test drove the Honda Clarity, one of the highest profile FCVs in the world.

Thomas Brachmann (Automobile Engineering & Research) at Honda R&D Europe remarked: "Honda believes fuel cell electric vehicles are the ultimate mobility solution, providing a practical, environmentally clean and near silent answer to transport requirements. The European Hydrogen Road Tour offers a great opportunity to give the public, media and government officials a chance to experience this impressive zero emission technology for themselves."

Michel Gardel, Vice-President Communications, External and Environment Affairs of Toyota Motor Europe also added: "Toyota has been active in fuel cell technology for the last 20 years and we are working to commercialise our next-generation fuel cell car by 2015. The European Hydrogen Road Tour is a great opportunity for our company and partners to demonstrate the readiness of the technology to European consumers."

Dr. Christian Mohrdieck, Director drive development fuel cell system, Daimler AG points out the importance of this technology: "On our way to zero-emission mobility fuel cell electric vehicles - with their great range while at the same time short refuelling times - will play a central role for the future. However, the success of this technology depends crucially on certain conditions being in place, such as the availability of a nationwide hydrogen infrastructure."

The European Hydrogen Road Tour 2012 is part of the H2moves Scandinavia project, which is the first European Lighthouse Project for hydrogen funded by the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking programme launched by the European Commission and European industry stakeholders.

As described on our fuel cell cars section, fuel cells efficiently transform hydrogen’s chemical energy into electricity and heat. The only emission is pure water. In combination with an electric motor, it can be used to power vehicles, delivering a much higher driving range and faster refuelling time than battery electric vehicles. FCVs deliver performance comparable with today’s conventional internal combustion engine vehicles but with zero tailpipe emissions and almost no sound whilst driving.

Public Ride & Drive: fuel cell cars will be available for test drives for the general public (subject to availability and licence acceptance) at the Concert Hall Approach, South Bank on Saturday 6th October.

European Hydrogen Road Tour 2012