Honda has helped open the UK’s first public hydrogen filling station at its manufacturing plant in Swindon, creating what it calls a ‘hydrogen highway’ on the M4 motorway.
The hydrogen refuelling station can be used by anyone driving a hydrogen-fuelled car, and is compliant with filling standards used by all car companies pioneering hydrogen power.
Hydrogen is considered a fuel of the future, as it gives off no emissions other than water. It can be used in converted internal combustion engines (as BMW does) or in a fuel cell to produce electricity.
Many car makers are developing fuel cell electric cars: as electricity is produced onboard, there is no need to carry expensive and heavy batteries, and it means the range is much greater.
Honda’s head of electrical powertrain R&D Thomas Brachmann said hydrogen fuel cell technology is ‘the ultimate transport solution; meeting environmental demands but also delivering the range and performance that customers expect.’
The only problem is the lack of hydrogen refuel infrastructure. This is what the British Honda project aims to help stimulate. The developers say it is ‘a solution that can be replicated across the country.
‘The cooperation on this project between vehicle manufacturers like Honda, infrastructure providers like BOC and the public sector can be a blueprint for future development,’ said Brachmann.
The Honda hydrogen filling station in Swindon is set up to look just like a regular filling station, and time to fill is comparable with that of a normal petrol or diesel pump. Filling a hydrogen fuel cell car such as the Honda FCX Clarity takes five minutes – compared to many hours when recharging an electric car’s onboard batteries
Richard Kemp-Harper, lead technologist for transport and energy at the Technology Strategy Board, said: ‘The change from conventional transport systems to sustainable, low carbon alternatives is one that can only be made through businesses and government working in partnership to develop innovative solutions.
‘This new refuelling station gives a real glimpse of the role hydrogen can play in practice. It is a great example of the kind of collaboration and innovation we need.’
So far, there are no hydrogen-powered cars officially sold in the UK, although BMW does offer the Hydrogen 7 in Europe.
Honda, however, sells the hydrogen fuel cell FCX Clarity in Japan and the US: the launch of the new filling station is expected to herald trials of the world’s first production fuel cell car in the UK.
