It has for some time now been touted that hydrogen is the fuel of choice for the future. No emissions and good performance as well as being the most abundant element in the universe – what’s not to like? There are however two big stepping stones. The first is infrastructure. Whenever a new fuel type becomes available, there must be support in the form of fuel stations up and down the country otherwise the car in question can’t travel outside of a particular distance. However, the UK government has pledged a further 6.6 million pounds to assist with this particular issue.
Hyundai was the first global car manufacturer to deliver Fuel Cell vehicles to paying UK customers in 2014. There are currently 6 ix35 Fuel Cell cars on British roads. Further deliveries are imminent. The huge advantage of hydrogen over electric is a higher range (the ix35 Fuel Cell is capable of around 350 miles on a full tank) and refuelling takes about as long as a standard petrol or diesel too.
Promoting the adoption of Fuel Cell vehicles in the UK, Hyundai is part of a number of collaborative projects. These include London’s Hydrogen Network Expansion (LHNE), a project backed by Innovate, and Hydrogen For Innovative Vehicles (HyFIVE). Hyundai is also a supplier to HyTEC, which alongside HyFIVE is funded by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). In addition, Hyundai Motor UK is a participant in the UKH2 Mobility project that has played a key part in advising government.
We at Car Articles are so confident in Hydrogen as the future fuel of choice we’ve created a new category for it in our listings. Watch out for more posts soon as I think we’re likely to see this area of industry go from strength to strength.
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