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The debate continues: what is the best alternative to diesel- and petrol-powered cars? Electric cars are staking a claim, but a recent European roadshow is promoting the case for hydrogen, as Rachel Burgess discovers
Electric cars have been viewed as a viable alternative to traditional engines for a couple of years now. But take-up has been slow due to pricey vehicles and limited range. Large fleets have led the field, trialling one or two cars, for short journeys or driving between buildings on a large site.
The advent of range extenders now offers a feasible alternative, but they still have high price points; take into account the increasing number of fuel-efficient petrol and diesel cars, and they're even harder to justify for the majority of fleets.
Many people, however, think hydrogen is a longer term and better alternative for the future. For the green agenda, vehicles powered by the natural gas only emit water, compared to EVs, which need to be plugged into an electric source for charging. And, they typically can cover distances similar to a fossil fuelled-car, which removes so-called range anxiety. However, two big hurdles remain: the cost and the infrastructure for hydrogen re-fuelling.
Car manufacturers are pushing forward with mass production of hydrogen vehicles, with Hyundai, Honda, Mercedes and Toyota all showcasing fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) at a recent event to raise awareness of hydrogen technologies. The European Hydrogen Road Tour 2012 travelled to nine cities across Europe including London and Cardiff and gave politicians, industry leaders, media and the public the opportunity to drive a hydrogen-fuelled car as well as learn more about it.
Hyundai has announced it is producing 1000 ix35 FCEVs, starting by the end of 2012 through to 2015, which will be available for public and private lease. And the firm has already won a tender to supply 15 cars to a council fleet in Copenhagen, which has a sufficient hydrogen fuelling infrastructure to facilitate the trial.
So, what does this mean for Britain? The London Hydrogen Partnership has been running five fuel cell buses daily between Covent Garden and Tower Gateway Station since May 2011. There's also a fleet of hydrogen taxis, which aren't operational as traditional cabs, but acted as chauffeured cars for special guests during the Olympics and continue to run for visitors linked to the project. Daniel Barrett from the
LHP says the transport has shown that hydrogen "holds great potential to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining the city's [London's] and Transport for London's rigorous service standards".
Infrastructure remains a problem, but fuelling points are growing. There are now 12 in the UK including two in London at Heathrow and Stratford, and a number at different universities including Birmingham, Coventry and Loughborough. The most recent site, opened earlier this month, is part of a £9m sustainable-energy research facility at the University of Nottingham. Barrett adds that the LHP hopes to have a hydrogen refuelling point in the capital's zone one or two before the end of next year.
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