Jan 24, 2012
The government has announced plans to position the UK at the forefront of commercial hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle roll-out, launching the UKH2Mobility programme to develop an action plan ahead of a 2014/2015 deployment.
"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 £400 million to support the development, demonstration and deployment of low and ultra-low emission vehicles." Explained business minister Mark Prisk at the launch event.
"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", Prisk added.
The project will seek to analyse in detail the specific UK case for the introduction of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as one of a number of solutions designed to reduce the carbon emissions of road transport, review the investments required to commercialise the technology including the requirement to build a refuelling infrastructure, and identify exactly what steps are required to put the UK at the head of the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle manufacturing queue.
The project already has a wide selection of signatories, including specialists in the field of hydrogen and compressed gasses like Air Liquide Hydrogen Energy and the BOC Group to vehicle manufacturers including Daimler, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota and Vauxhall. The first results from the programme are expected to be released by the end of this year; should the outlook appear positive, an action plan will be developed to provide a road map to a potential 2014/2014 roll-out of commercial hydrogen vehicles in the UK.
Source: Expert Review
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