Will hydrogen-powered cars gradually become mainstream in Europe?

The role of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in the transition to a clean, low-carbon energy system is increasingly recognised worldwide. Yet, their mass roll-out is still years away. This is not surprising because high costs, efficiency issues and the limited number of hydrogen refuelling stations (HRSs) affect the business case for their production and use on a large scale.

The EU-funded ZEFER project is addressing this challenge by introducing 180 FCEVs in Brussels, London and Paris. As explained in a press release on the project website, their regular use on a daily basis will create hydrogen demand from each vehicle roughly four times that of a normal privately owned car. “This will help to ensure high utilisation of the early networks of HRS which are already operating in each city.” As a result, the economics of operating the stations will be improved and the uptake of FCEVs will speed up.