Cars, buses and fuelling stations

Already today there are cars on the road worldwide with a hydrogen drive system -many in demonstration projects in Europe, Japan or in the USA. Models with a combustion engine resemble conventional petrol cars with respect to their driving characteristics. So-called bivalent combustion engines can even alternate between hydrogen and petrol drives at full speed and without jerking. In this manner they can cover great distances, even when no hydrogen refuelling station is nearby. Regarding energy efficiency however, fuel cell vehicles have the edge. They are fundamentally electric cars, only instead of a battery, the fuel cell supplies the necessary electricity. Fuel cell vehicles are ideal for city transport: quiet, quick to accelerate and totally emission-free.

The majority of large car manufacturers now have prototypes or close-to-production models with hydrogen drives in their portfolio. Even buses with fuel cells or hydrogen combustion engines are already in operation in many cities in Germany. They are a part of comprehensive research and development projects of the kind implemented by the Clean Energy Partnership in Germany. The aim is everyday testing of hydrogen technology, primarily at the many interfaces between vehicle technology, hydrogen production and refuelling station infrastructure.

How does a hydrogen fuel pump work? What regulatory steps are required for their construction? How can operational safety be guaranteed and certified? How can hydrogen production from renewable energies be ensured? Car manufacturers, energy suppliers, infrastructure and local transport companies are working closely together with the public sector in order to answer these questions and to create a common vision: emission-free mobility with hydrogen.