A molecular orbit
Feature
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles are still in their infancy, but a recent initiative during the UK’s Hydrogen Week aimed to raise awareness of both the fuel and the infrastructure surrounding it. Richard Gooding took the wheel during the LHNE’s ‘Tour de M25’ world record attempt.
While electric vehicles are now, if not everywhere, certainly more commonplace than they were, other alternative fuels are still gaining traction. Take hydrogen for example: used in fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to produce electricity to power the driving motors by way of a chemical reaction, it’s a technology very much in its infancy in the UK. But a number of recent projects have set to change all that, and GreenFleet was invited to take part in one of them – a world record attempt around the M25 to set two distance records.
The project, dreamt up by the government‑backed London Hydrogen Network Expansion project (LHNE), took place during Hydrogen Week, 14-18 March. The continuous five‑day and five-night drive around the M25 used Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell cars, one of the two models – along with Toyota’s Mirai – which is currently available to buy in the UK.
Starting at the Air Products hydrogen refuelling station on the outskirts of Heathrow airport, a series of drivers completed around 50 laps of the 125-mile orbital motorway. The previous records stood at 435 miles for the longest trip by FCV on one tank of hydrogen, while the longest continuous journey carried out by an FCV stood at 6,025 miles. The project, dubbed ‘Tour de M25’ needed 49 laps or more to be in with a chance of beating the current records.
Records smashed
Both records were smashed from a UK perspective, with the LHNE claiming victory thanks to a 400-mile single tank of hydrogen trip, along with a continuous FCV journey of 6,096 miles. The fifty laps of the new world record included mileage to and from the Heathrow refuelling station, which is one of the four publicly-accessible hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK. With no tailpipe emissions bar water, the ‘Tour de M25’ project set to raise the public profile of hydrogen‑fuelled vehicles. And where is there a more public place to do that than on what is arguably the UK’s most infamous motorway?
Diana Raine, European business manager hydrogen energy systems at Air Products, which has led the LHNE project, said: “It is fantastic to have overhauled the two records we aimed to beat this week. The fact that we have managed to drive 6,096 miles in under a week demonstrates perfectly the viability and usability of FCVs.
She continued: “What we need now for accelerated adoption of hydrogen vehicles is for the government to work with our industry to provide the right framework for the technology to become truly accepted by the public.”
World record attempt
GreenFleet was asked to take part in the exciting world record attempt, and I took the wheel of the left‑hand drive of the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell on the night of Wednesday 16 March. A delay caused by a traffic jam – ironcially – as soon as I joined the M25 at junction 26 form the GreenFleet offices meant my 18:30 slot was delayed by around two hours, but once on the road, the 125-mile lap (the record attempt’s 28th) of London’s orbital motorway was surprisingly – and maybe disappointingly – uneventful. Media M25 orbiters were accompanied by a pro driver, and Steve, who sat alongside me, in what would usually be the driver’s seat, chatted to me and kept me focused on both the car’s extremities and the details of the record attempt itself. Time went surprisingly quickly, and as the landmarks of the journey were ticked off – junction 28 (my home turn-off), the Dartford Crossing, Clacket Lane Services – we were turning off at junction 15 and heading back to the Heathrow refuelling station.
I’d driven the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell before as part of its ‘Streetcar names Hyundai’ project last October (GreenFleet issue 89), but it was nice to reacquaint myself with an FCV. Just like an electric car – which is essentially what an FCV is – there is a background whine, but the overall impression is of calmness and serenity due to the lack of noise. One benefit of FCVs is that they can be driven a longer distance than an electric vehicle before refuelling, made all the easier by the fact the ix35 is as conventional to drive as an internal combustion-engined car. As in an electric or hybrid vehicle, one of the only differences is an energy monitor which lets the driver see exactly how the energy is being used.
Biggest obstacle
The biggest obstacle hydrogen-powered vehicles currently face in the UK is infrastructure. There are currently only six in the UK, with a further three expected to open by the end of 2016. Two are sited in London alone, but more are planned. Sophie Lyons, business development manager at Air Products which runs the London stations said: “Air Products manage two publicly‑accessible stations, and one bus refuelling station. There are three additional publicly‑accessible stations planned in the London area under the HyFIVE project, that will be delivered by ITM Power.
“Fleets are using the network, too, with customers including Commercial Group, Green Tomato Cars, and Transport for London.”
Robin Hayles, sustainable fuel manager at Hyundai Motor UK believes fleets are ideally suited for FCVs: “The fleet market has always been an area we identified as potential early adopters for FCV technology and this remains the case, with a longer driving range and faster refuelling time than comparable pure EV technology can offer.
“It is far too early to have sales targets in place, however. It is important to work with our infrastructure partners to ensure that the key early market growth is nurtured and ensure that any longer term sales ambitions are not affected by decisions made right now, e.g. poor infrastructure sighting.”
Hydrogen refuelling infrastructure growth is seen as key to increasing FCV numbers. Like EVs before them, infrastructure growth may start off slow, but continued investment can only yield an improved network.
Further Information
www.hydrogenlondon.org/tag/lhne/
