A consortium of carmakers and infrastructure firms, led by Element Energy, has launched the Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) project to support the the introduction of hydrogen-fueled transport across Europe.
The H2ME project, being backed by a funding worth €32m from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, will look to deploy fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) in the region.
Around 200 FCEVs, 125 fuel cell range-extended electric (FC RE-EVs) commercial vans and 29 new HRSs will be deployed in 10 countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK by 2019.
The project is in line with the existing national level initiatives for the launch of a large scale hydrogen refueling infrastructure, in order to implement emission-free driving across Europe.
Element Energy director Ben Madden said: "We are very pleased to be leading this project which will lead to a significant change in the rate and scale of hydrogen vehicle and refuelling station deployment in Europe.
"A huge international effort over the past two decades has developed hydrogen vehicle technology to the point where it is technically ready for market introduction.
"H2ME will allow a widespread demonstration of the readiness of the technology, as well as developing valuable insights about the early customer experience and practical challenges of a widespread roll-out of the technology."
The consortium also comprises Daimler, SymbioFCell, Hyundai, Honda, Intelligent Energy, Nissan and infrastructure providers Air Liquide, BOC, H2Logic, ITM Power, Linde, McPhy Energy, OMV, Areva, Eifer, H2 Mobility Deutschland, HYOP, Icelandic New Energy, Communauté d'Agglomération Sarreguemines Confluences, as well as data monitoring and dissemination organisations Cenex and WaterstofNet.
