Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Drive ‘n’ Ride kicks off

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Drive ‘n’ Ride launched in Europe

The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee has launched the fifth annual Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Drive ‘n’ Ride event . As with previous years, the event features a number of hydrogen powered vehicles from some of the largest names in the auto industry. Honda, Hyundai, Daimler, and Toyota will all showcase their hydrogen powered vehicles during the event, as will Intelligent Energy and Opel. As with past iterations of the Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Drive ‘n’ Ride, this year’s event aims to promote awareness of hydrogen transportation.

Auto industry eager to show off hydrogen-powered vehicles

The auto industry has become enthralled with the concept of using hydrogen as a fuel for future vehicles. The industry, as a whole, is being confronted by more scrutiny from the world’s governments. Automakers are faced with stricter emissions regulations that threaten to punish them for producing vehicles that do not meet a new, environmentally friendly standard. Unwilling to sacrifice performance for the sake of compliance, many companies have turned to hydrogen fuel cells, which are capable of producing large amounts of electrical power without releasing any harmful emissions.

People will have a chance to test a hydrogen-powered vehicle themselves

During the Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Drive ‘n’ Ride event, European residents and those visiting the region will be able to test drive a hydrogen vehicle. Four years of this event have proven that these vehicles are actually quite popular amongst those that have had a chance to drive them. The event has, in the past, successfully generated a significant amount of hype behind hydrogen transportation, which has served the auto industry well.

Event may inject hype into hydrogen transportation

Most major automakers have plans to release their hydrogen vehicles by 2015, with the exception of Hyundai, which plans to launch its Tucson ix35 at some point in 2013. If this year’s Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Drive ‘n’ Ride is successful in its goal, there may soon be another hype injection into the auto industry and its plans for hydrogen transportation.