FAQs

The aim of the consortium is to deliver the roll-out of hydrogen as a transport fuel across the UK. This will enable the UK to become a serious global player in hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle manufacture bringing economic and carbon reduction benefits for the UK.

The UK H2Mobility consortium is a private-public partnership, funded by an annual subscription fee from private sector members. Public sector members are not required to pay membership fees. For details of members please see Members.

As with any new technology, the first FCEVs currently on the market cost more than the established technology. Today a first generation Toyota Mirai can be bought in the UK for ~£60,000 and a Hyundai Nexo for ~£66,000. The costs of these vehicles are expected to reduce in the coming years as markets grow and vehicles can be produced on larger production runs.
Fuel cell cars can already go as far as their fossil fuel counterparts, the first generation Toyota Miraihas a range of 300 miles which will increase in future versions as the technology improves.
Hydrogen can be produced from any form of primary energy, renewable or conventional. As a fuel it is widely available, efficient, renewable and non-polluting. Today, the majority of hydrogen is produced from steam reforming. However, an increasing number of plants are using renewable electricity to drive electrolysis which is totally renewable. Even when produced from fossil fuels, hydrogen can significantly reduce the overall amount of greenhouse gases and pollutants produced in power generation plants.
It takes energy to produce any fuel. It takes about 15-20% of the energy in crude oil to produce gasoline. For electric vehicles, about 50% of the energy in coal or natural gas results in electricity used to charge vehicles from a domestic mains socket. The remainder is lost in the power station as heat and in transmission and distribution losses. It takes about 30% of the energy in natural gas to produce hydrogen and about 20% of the energy in electricity to produce hydrogen from electrolysis.
What is really critical is the overall efficiency of the whole cycle, since this is related to ‘well-to-wheel’ emissions. This is particularly important given the impact of carbon emissions on climate change. Hydrogen FCEVs are overall more efficient than vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine, resulting in lower carbon emissions.
Hydrogen has been used for a wide variety of industrial applications for more than 100 years. Today, some 2,000 tonnes of hydrogen are transported annually on UK roads to customers. Hydrogen is abundant, non-toxic, colourless, odourless and tasteless, and is a clean, efficient and safe energy source. It is the lightest element in the world (even lighter than air), and if released into the atmosphere rises and dissipates quickly. This makes it safer than liquid fuels in an accident as it can be vented from the tank, leaving nothing to ignite. Even if hydrogen does ignite, the low level of radiant heat emitted by the hydrogen flames means that nearby materials will be much less likely to ignite by heat transfer.

The UK H2Mobility members recognise that the introduction of a new fuel will require rigorous safety standards to be drawn up and applied, commensurate with those already in place for petrol, diesel and LPG refuelling.

Yes. Refuelling an FCEV is a very similar process to filling up a conventional car with petrol or diesel, via a nozzle and fuel pipe.

Refuelling is quick and takes anywhere between three to five minutes.

 

For more information please go to:
https://www.itm-power.com/markets/hydrogen-fuel-stations-cars
https://www.toyota.co.uk/new-cars/new-mirai/infrastructure

For hydrogen transport to become mainstream, both Government and industry must work in partnership to provide not only the financial resources but also the policy framework to achieve 'critical mass' and encourage adoption of this new and sustainable technology.

As the network expands, economies of scale will drive costs down across the technology. As more refuelling facilities are installed, consumers will have the confidence that they will be able to refill their vehicles and so will start to purchase them.

Several major vehicle manufacturers are developing vehicles for market introduction as early as 2015, but both equipment and infrastructure need to be in place for the market to flourish.

Developing and bringing any major new technology to the commercial market costs money, and hydrogen is no different. However, hydrogen has a key role to play in the future decarbonisation of the transport sector because it offers three significant benefits to the UK and to the wider, global economy:

  • Energy security. As hydrogen is widely available and can be produced from a wide variety of renewable processes, it offers independence from the over-reliance on energy imports from unstable economies.
  • Environment improvement. Decarbonising the transport sector will reduce emissions, limit the impact of potentially damaging climate change and improve human health well into the future. Hydrogen has a critical role to play in contributing to this.
  • Economic development. The UK has developed extensive expertise in the area of hydrogen and fuel cell electric vehicles technology. The development of a new hydrogen-based transport sector provides the opportunity to create new businesses, new jobs and wider economic growth for the UK.

Taking all these three factors into consideration, hydrogen transportation makes economic sense, and the involvement of key partners in the UK H2Mobility programme is a clear indication of this.