Hydrogen-powered company cars will be easier than ever to fill thanks to the opening of the first of five new refuelling stations in London.
It has been funded by a pot of money from the Government, set aside to develop the infrastructure needed to run a hydrogen vehicle.
Developed with ITM Power, the new filling station in Teddington will be followed by four more in the capital by the end of 2016.
More funding for hydrogen filling stations
The new facility joins others in Hendon, Heathrow, Swindon and Sheffield. It is the latest station to be funded by the Government’s £6.6 million hydrogen infrastructure investment strategy. Another is planned for Rainham, East London.
The Office for Low Emission Vehicles has also launched a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Fleet Support Scheme; a £2m pot offering public and private sector fleets as much as 75 percent off the cost of new hydrogen-powered vehicles bought by April 2017. This pot also extends to their running costs for the first three years.
Great news for Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell drivers
One such vehicle, the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell, is already being used by businesses including Johnson Mathey, TfL, Air Products, ITM Power and Anglo American.
There are nearly 400 ix35 Fuel Cells worldwide and 15 in the UK, with demand expected to increase as the refuelling infrastructure is developed.
It uses a 134bhp electric motor powered by two hydrogen fuel tanks, allowing for a total range of about 369 miles. The benefit to company car drivers is zero CO2 emissions at the tailpipe, in addition to a long range. The ix35 Fuel Cell holds the record for the longest journey on a single tank of hydrogen, standing at 435 miles.
Dr Graham Cooley, chief executive of ITM Power, said: “The opening of five public access hydrogen refuelling stations in London before the end of 2016 is a big task for us, but car manufacturers like Hyundai have already made huge advancements in hydrogen technology and we’re very excited to be at the cutting edge with them.”
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