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Hydrogen success as SMEs get to try car club’s fuel cell Hyundai fleet

Hyundai Co Wheels
Aberdeen launches Hyundai hydrogen drive with Ewan Swaffield (Transport Scotland), Cllr Barney Crockett, Tony Archer (Co-Wheels) and Robin Hayles (Hyundai)

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29 March 2016

Hydrogen milestones

  • Aberdeen City Council takes on four ix35 hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles
  • Cars available for pay-as-you-go public use through car club Co-wheels and for Aberdeen businesses to trial
  • Now 15 Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles on UK roads
  • Two hydrogen-fuelled distance records have recently been broken in the UK

HYUNDAI’S hydrogen success continues with Aberdeen City Council and Co-wheels car club adding four ix35 Fuel Cells to their fleet for SMEs to try and for public use.

The cars will be made available to the public through the car club on a pay-as-you-go basis and to Aberdeen businesses for trial.

This order takes the nationwide total of Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles to 15 with more than 250 across Europe.  Those vehicles in the UK are already in use by Johnson Matthey, TfL, Air Products, ITM Power and Anglo American.

Hyundai Motor UK CEO Tony Whitehorn said: “As more and more cities throughout the UK begin to improve their hydrogen facilities, we’re seeing greater demand for our ix35 Fuel Cell.

“It’s fantastic to be a part of Aberdeen’s hydrogen development in this way, especially because the cars are going to be used on a day-to-day basis by members of the public. We want them to experience all the reasons why we think hydrogen is the way forward in terms of usability, refinement and ultra-clean motoring.”

Aberdeen City Councillor Barney Crockett, who also chairs the European hydrogen association HyER, added: “Aberdeen is developing a reputation as a ‘can-do’ hydrogen city.

Hyundai TourDeM25_Logo

Hyundai ix35 records in UK Hydrogen Week

  • Longest journey in the UK on a single tank of hydrogen, travelling 406 miles
  • Longest continuous journey for a fuel cell vehicle by travelling 6,096 miles over the course of six days

“With these cars, we are taking things to the next level, moving ever closer to becoming a world-leading renewables city and securing a hydrogen economy in Aberdeen, presenting tangible opportunities to the energy industry.”

In addition, as part of the UK’s Hydrogen Week (March 14-18, 2016), the government-backed London Hydrogen Network Expansion project (LHNE) – of which Hyundai Motor is a partner – broke two new distance records for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles driving in the ix35 Fuel Cell.

Business Car Manager‘s Martyn Collins was among the drivers participating in the record run. To see the report click here.

The first record was for the longest journey in the UK on a single tank of hydrogen – travelling 406 miles – and the second was for the longest continuous journey made in a fuel cell vehicle by travelling 6,096 miles over 50 laps of the M25 in six days.

The ix35 Fuel Cell is the first hydrogen car to go on sale to the public in the UK – it has a range of 326 miles but emits only water and has a refueling time to match a combustion-engined car.

LHNE, co-funded by Innovate UK, was set up in 2012 to create the UK’s first hydrogen-powered transport system across London and the South East. It has delivered a new publicly-accessible, state-of-the-art fast-fill Air Products SmartFuel® hydrogen refuelling station and upgraded a second to the requisite 700 bar pressure status.

The LHNE partners are now keen for the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technology to accelerate in the UK but one of the main challenges is the limited coverage of refuelling stations to support the vehicles.

There are currently six stations in the UK, including the two public Air Products SmartFuel stations in London and funding is in place for at least 12 to be operational in England and Scotland within the next 12 months.

Hyundai hydrogen finish
Heathrow finish of the Hyundai ix35’s record-breaking hydrogen-fuelled marathon lapping the M25

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