Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles will travel nearly 6,000 km across Europe to converge in Hamburg to celebrate the expanding network of refueling stations.

Thirteen vehicles starting in five countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway) will travel a combined 5,836 km to reach the German city ahead of the Hydrogen for Clean Transport – H2ME Mid-Term Conference on 25th October. The journey will demonstrate the advantages of hydrogen mobility and motorway driving.

The road trip to Hamburg is only possible following the expanding network of refueling stations, in part due to funded installations from the pan-European Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) project, that assesses the technical and commercial readiness of vehicles, fueling stations and hydrogen production techniques.

H2ME has funded the installation of 32 hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) across Europe to date, with a target of up to 49 by 2022.

The recently launched European HRS Availability System h2-map.eu shows the location and live status of 137 HRSs, with more than half of these available in Germany.

The pan-European road trip to Hamburg comprises 15 HRSs, all complying with international standards to ensure compatibility between refueling stations and vehicles.

The refueling process takes around three to five minutes, offering times comparable to conventional petrol or diesel cars, and reduces overall journey times.

The H2ME project has seen more than 550 hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles deployed, traveling over 11.6 million kilometres across Europe. This is facilitated as car manufacturers are making available new-generation hydrogen vehicles, or planning to make hydrogen vehicles available in the near future.

Findings from the H2ME project will be announced at the Hydrogen for Clean Transport: H2ME Mid-Term Conference in Hamburg. The event will showcase the advances made by hydrogen technology in the transport sector and discuss the remaining challenges of widespread commercialisation.

Bart Biebuyck, director, FCH JU – “I am very excited to see this road trip happen, which will surely profit from the European HRS Availability System, our new tool that will help all car users identify existing refueling stations and whether they are operational or not. This information, which is openly available to any user, will eliminate any anxiety over a lack of infrastructure and enable drivers to opt for fuel cell vehicles.”

Valerie Bouillon-Delporte, president, Hydrogen Europe – “Hosting the Hydrogen for Clean Transport Conference in Germany is a natural step given the successful infrastructure roll out. Today, there are 76 hydrogen refueling stations across the country, and new stations opening every week! Hydrogen mobility, and its related infrastructure, is also being adopted in Austria, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, to name a few. “