A final report has been published on the H2ME programme, which brought together around fifty partners. This flagship project has enabled the deployment of stations and demonstrated the relevance of hydrogen mobility.
Hydrogen Today had already talked about this programme, which was carried out in two waves. A final report has now been published, with data that is worth sharing. The project has led to the deployment of 49 hydrogen stations and 1,400 fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs). That represents up to a third of the infrastructure and fleets recorded in Europe to date. 12 different vehicle models were tested as part of H2ME, including one with a range of 650 km. They covered around 40 million km. At the stations, 361,000 fill-ups were made.
A relevant use case for taxis
The programme has proved, for example, that hydrogen-powered taxis do have a place, as a complement to battery-powered models. Their range and rapid refuelling are assets for intensive use. In fact, the 500 Toyota Mirai arriving for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games further supports this model. Even though the focus has been on heavy mobility, there will always be use cases for hydrogen-powered light mobility in Europe. Furthermore, the launches of fuel cell vans by leading manufacturers (Hyvia and Stellantis, Iveco with Hyundai) also highlight the potential of fuel cell technology in light commercial vehicles. Hype and HysetCo are also in the process of moving vans into taxi mode, adapted for transporting people with disabilities.
The H2ME programme has also showcased the feasibility of a scalable hydrogen supply infrastructure, focusing on the production of hydrogen through electrolysis from renewable sources.
As far as the players are concerned, Moises Costa, Head of Public Affairs at Symbio, admits that not everything has gone according to plan in ten years. “But we can be proud of what we have achieved,” he says. He also points out that the programme has enabled 9 hydrogen stations and 687 hydrogen-powered vehicles to be deployed in France.
Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili
