UK Police cars to trial hydrogen cars in zero emission project

Cars from the UK's Metropollitan police are set to be among nearly 200 new hydrogen powered vehicles switching to zero emission miles following an £8.8m ($12.4m) project funded by the Department of Transport (DoT). It is designed with the intention of improving access to hydrogen fuelling stations across the country and increasing the number of hydrogen cars on its roads from this Summer. The scheme is run by a consortium led by Element Energy whose members also include ITM Power, Shell, Toyota and
March 28, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Cars from the UK's Metropolitan police are set to be among nearly 200 new hydrogen powered vehicles switching to zero emission miles following an £8.8m ($12.4m) project funded by the Department of Transport (DoT). It is designed with the intention of improving access to hydrogen fuelling stations across the country and increasing the number of hydrogen cars on its roads from this Summer.

The scheme is run by a consortium led by Element Energy whose members also include ITM Power, Shell, Toyota and Hyundai. It aims to capitalise on reliable mileage of established fleets and see vehicles being procured by emergency services taxi and private car service as well as Green Tomato Cars and Europcar to support the increase of refuelling infrastructure for hydrogen vehicles.

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are powered by electricity generated on-board the vehicle from hydrogen fuel passing through a fuel cell stack, allowing the driver to refill the tank at a hydrogen refuelling station.

These cars intend to provide a zero emission alternative for drivers travelling long distances with refuelling times comparable to diesel or petrol fuels vehicles.

Dr Graham Cooley, chief executive officer, ITM Power said: “This project will deliver the largest expansion of the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure ever undertaken in the UK and is a very significant step forward for the UK hydrogen industry. The project will fund ITM Power to build four new hydrogen refuelling stations and upgrade five further stations. Our partnership with Shell, Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai constitutes a highly coordinated roll out of hydrogen vehicles and refuelling infrastructure.”

Oliver Bishop, general manager of hydrogen at Shell, said: “Hydrogen has the potential to become a significant part of the transport mix in a low-carbon future. Central to this success is collaboration between the Government, energy companies, OEMs and technology experts to create the infrastructure to make access to new fuel options viable. At Shell, we are delighted to be part of the latest infrastructure funding effort, and to help drive forward the UK’s hydrogen refuelling network.”

Related Content

  • January 16, 2018
    Government of Canada expands EV charging stations in New Brunswick
    To provide Canadians with more options to drive clean, the country’s government has announced a $450,000 (£262,000) investment in NB Power’s eCharge Network, adding nine new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to the current ten, in New Brunswick. The transaction has been announced by Serge Cormier, member of parliament for Tracadie–Bathurst on behalf of the honourable Jim Carr, minister of natural resources. Cormier also confirmed that an additional $197,500 (£115,000) from the federal gas tax fund
    Read More
  • November 6, 2017
    C2ES: how electrified transportation can benefit low-income communities
    City officials can help improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and cost savings to cities and their disadvantaged communities through taking steps to speed the deployment of zero- and low-emission electric vehicles (EVs). The findings come from a new brief from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) which provides resources on helping cities evaluate the benefits of electrified transportation. Called “Electrified Transportation for All,” the report covers the expansion of the
    Read More
  • June 17, 2019
    Battery bottleneck: EV roll-out at risk
    In order for the take-up of electric vehicles – a key part of the future mobility mix - to grow, we need batteries. And that might prove tricky, reports Graham Anderson Industry and commodities experts fear that the growth in electric vehicles (EVs) could be much slower than predicted due to bottlenecks in global battery market supply chains. “People seem to think that the switch from the internal combustion engine to electric vehicles just means you plug your car in rather than fill it with petrol,” a
    Read More
  • May 3, 2019
    Gearing up for the global electric vehicle revolution
    As transport, communications and energy networks become inextricably linked, policy makers are recognising the implications for our built environment – and the growing electric vehicle market will have a major impact on the world’s infrastructure, says Rolton Group’s Chris Evans
    Read More

Highlighted Content