European hydrogen car fleet passes the 2 million km milestone

The fleet of 115 Toyota Mirais used as taxis in Germany have been on the road since the end of 2022.

A hydrogen car taxi fleet of Toyota Mirais has been on the streets of Berlin since the end of 2022, and since that time, it has managed to drive a collective two million kilometers, all with an H2 fuel cell.

The fleet is being watched as a demonstration of how this type of vehicle performs in the real world.

Every passenger who has taken a taxi in a hydrogen car has been on a trip that hasn’t produced any carbon emissions. The only tailpipe emission from these vehicles is water vapor. To achieve the collective 2 million kilometers in distance, the vehicles took over 150,000 customer journeys.

The effort is part of a project called H2 Moves Berlin and is a collaboration among Anglo American, Toyota Germany, and ENNOO, a SafeDriver Group. It comprises the largest H2-powered commercial passenger fleet and among its goals is proving that these vehicles are suitable for everyday use.

The hydrogen car fleet is aimed at showing that H2 is a strong option in decarbonization of transportation.

Anglo American is a top primary producer of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), which helps to explain why it is a collaborator in this project, as platinum is a critical catalyst in the most common design of H2 fuel cells. It also aligns with that company’s commitment to finding and encouraging new uses for the precious metals in which it deals. It is involved in a number of creative commercial collaborations with partners as well as customers, in the hopes of developing tech that will accelerate hydrogen car and H2 mobility.

Credit: Photo by depositphotos.com

“Hydrogen fuel cells are a key technology for emissions-free electric vehicles, which we need to drive the decarbonisation of transport,” explained Anglo American Platinum Group Metals Executive Head of Market Development Benny Oeyen. “As a leading producer of fuel cell-enabling platinum, we are committed to supporting the adoption of hydrogen-fueled mobility solutions across the entire industry. We believe that FCEVs are particularly well suited to vehicle fleets, such as taxis and buses, as well as to heavy duty trucks that require the range and rapid refueling times without the weight of batteries.”

Supporting the hydrogen car market

“At the same time, they offer relief on pressured battery minerals supply chains and hence contribute to the stability and sustainability of supply. We have been an early supporter of the potential for a hydrogen economy and will continue to actively support the emerging ecosystem of hydrogen transport in Germany, and beyond,” added Oeyen.

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