Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

What is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle?

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles represent the latest technology in vehicle manufacture. They are not yet widely available in the UK, but there are a small number of models out there.

They’re refuelled in a similar way to traditional petrol or diesel vehicles, but have zero emissions. Due to the positive impact on air quality, the government is backing the industry with grant funding.

Are they really a greener option?

As the vehicle uses hydrogen as its fuel, there are no carbon dioxide emissions produced. The hydrogen fuel cell generates electricity which is used to drive an electric motor and gives off by-products of heat and water vapour. Unlike an electric vehicle, however, there’s no need to hang around whilst it’s re-charging.

Warning. If the hydrogen used has been produced using fossil fuel it isn’t any greener than other technologies. However, as renewable sources of electricity become more common, hydrogen technology will become commensurately greener.

Costs

Unfortunately, this type of vehicle is expensive in comparison with petrol, diesel or even electric, and only a few models are available commercially. As an example, Toyota’s “Miria” costs around £60,000 but even at that price the company is expected to make a loss.

Note. The Miria is eligible for a £4,500 category 1 UK plug-in car grant.

A full tank of fuel is likely to cost in the region of £70 and should deliver 200 to 300 miles according to the manufacturer’s information and independent testing.

This makes a hydrogen vehicle more expensive to get from A to B for the time being, but costs ought to reduce as time goes on.

Incentives

Manufacturers are trying to make the costs more manageable, e.g. with fuel included in the monthly lease plan.

The good news is that servicing costs are lower than for an internal combustion vehicle as there are fewer moving parts, they are exempt from road tax charges due to there being no CO₂ emissions, plus they are exempt from the London Congestion Charge Zone.

Refuelling options

There’s always a catch with new technology and in this case, if the costs don’t put you off it will be the lack of refuelling points. However, the government has invested £23 million to boost the number of fuel stations available so this issue should be resolved over the course of the next few years.

Tip 1. With only 13 hydrogen refuelling stations as of April 2017 (and not all of them public), you’ll struggle to get very far in your new vehicle. For now, Greater London is the best served area.

Tip 2. Although hydrogen will have its day, if you’re looking to purchase a greener vehicle right now, the better option appears to be a hybrid electric vehicle.