Hyundai cars for HyTEC project
The HyTEC consortium, led by Air Products, comprises companies with expertise in hydrogen transport infrastructure and operation. New member Hyundai Motor Europe will deliver eight of its flagship hydrogen ix35 Fuel Cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to Oslo this year, where they will make use of the city’s hydrogen fueling network.
The vehicles will complement the consortium’s existing activities in Copenhagen and London, where fueling stations and fleets of passenger cars and taxis have already been deployed to demonstrate the viability of hydrogen technology as a low-carbon transport solution.
The HyTEC consortium will gather operational data from these fleets and stations. These data are being disseminated to other European cities that are interested in implementing hydrogen transport for urban mobility.
Hydrogen as fuel for today
‘We are delighted to welcome Hyundai Motor Europe to this exciting project, which will now see Oslo benefit from the consortium’s expertise in hydrogen transport infrastructure and operation,’ says Diana Raine, HyTEC Project Coordinator as well as European Business Manager for Hydrogen Energy Systems at Air Products.
‘We hope to demonstrate that hydrogen is not a fuel for the future, but a fuel for today that can reduce dangerous emissions and improve air quality in our cities.’
Mass production of FCEVs
‘Hyundai is the world’s first manufacturer to mass-produce hydrogen-powered vehicles, and is already selling cars globally, including 11 European markets,’ says Frank Meijer, Head of FCEV & Infrastructure Development at Hyundai Motor Europe.
‘As an industry leader, it is important to support projects like HyTEC that work to strengthen Europe’s refueling infrastructure and raise awareness of zero-emission, hydrogen-powered mobility in Europe.’
HyTEC initiative across Europe
The HyTEC initiative is co-funded by leading transport and infrastructure companies, and by the European Commission’s Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). It brings together 16 partners from five EU member states (UK, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Spain) plus Norway, which is outside the EU.
London, Copenhagen, and Oslo are widely recognised for developing and adopting ultra-low carbon urban transport solutions. Each city is adopting a different approach to hydrogen vehicle demonstration, through trialing different vehicle types and approaches to the rollout of refueling infrastructure.
Hydrogen cars in cities
In Copenhagen, 15 hydrogen passenger cars are being used by different city services and companies alongside refueling facilities that dispense ‘green’ (i.e. sustainably produced) hydrogen.
Hydrogen passenger cars and taxis are being deployed in London using a new, state-of-the-art refueling facility. And Oslo will deploy hydrogen passenger cars, making use of the city’s existing refueling infrastructure.