Four leading manufacturers in the development of hydrogen vehicles have signed an agreement to support the introduction of fuel cell cars into Nordic countries.
The signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai comes as the month-long European Hydrogen Road Tour comes to an end. Supported by Daimler, Toyota, Hyundai and Honda, it was designed to demonstrate the real-world capabilities of hydrogen cars and passed through the UK last week (see story).
Organised by H2 Moves Scandanavia, the tour arrived in Cardiff last Tuesday (October 3) before moving onto Swindon where it could make use of Honda’s refuelling station based at its facilities in the town-the first public-access hydrogen refuelling station available in the UK. Then the tour continue onto Bristol and London during the latter half of the week, with rare ride-and-drive opportunities for members of the public.
The new agreement signed today will see the Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai work with organisations in Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark to develop refuelling infrastructure as part of measures to support the introduction of fuel cell cars between 2014 and 2017.
Honda already has a limited production model available to lease in the US and Japan called the FCX Clarity. All four have plans to expand the availability of hydrogen vehicles over the coming years, with Hyundai expected to launch its ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle by 2015.
Commenting on the new agreement, Ken Kier, Executive Vice President, Honda Motor Europe said, “In 2002 Honda became the world’s first carmaker to put a fuel cell car on the road with regular customers, delivering the Honda FCX Clarity to fleet users in the United States and Japan. We want to continue to lead the way for fuel cell technology across the world including Europe. This MoU signifies that commitment.”
The MoU was signed in the presence of the Danish Minister for Transport and the Director of the International Energy Agency at the 3GF conference in Copenhagen.
The European Hydrogen Road Tour also concludes its final day today in the Danish capital.
Faye has been writing about cars and environmental issues since 2007. A suspected eco-warrior working on the corporate inside, Faye mainly likes the weird, quirky vehicles that show a distinct environmental advantage. Her ideal car has enough room to fit a bale of hay in the boot. When not working, she likes nothing better than to head out on her bicycle and explore the countryside.
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