12 May 2016 – Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell drivers now have more options than ever for refuelling, following the opening of a new high-tech site in Teddington, Greater London. Developed in partnership with ITM Power, the new filling station is based at Teddington’s National Physical Laboratory, and is just the first of five new hydrogen sites planned for the London area this year.
It joins other high-tech facilities in Hendon, Heathrow, Swindon and Sheffield, and is the latest new filling station to be opened as part of the British government’s £6.6 million hydrogen infrastructure investment strategy. Part of the investment will also include the building of the four additional hydrogen stations in and around London, including one in Rainham, East London, near to Canary Wharf.
Coinciding with the launch of the new hydrogen station in Teddington, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles launched the Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Fleet Support Scheme. This new £2m fund allows public and private sector fleets to get as much as 75% off the cost of new hydrogen-powered vehicles, including ix35 Fuel Cell, bought by April 2017, as well as the cost of running them for three years. Interested businesses must submit a bid to be part of the scheme by Monday 4 July.
With the ix35 Fuel Cell already in use by businesses such as Johnson Mathey, TfL, Air Products, ITM Power and Anglo American, Hyundai has seen demand grow in line with developments in the refuelling infrastructure. There are nearly 400 ix35 Fuel Cells on the road globally and 15 in the UK.
Hyundai Motor UK CEO, Tony Whitehorn said: “When we made the ix35 Fuel Cell commercially available we were blazing a trail, and we made a commitment to help in the development of the refuelling infrastructure – the fruits of which can clearly be seen with this, and other station launches happening this year. We also know how well received the ix35 Fuel Cell is with our existing fleet customers so we’re very happy to be involved with the government’s new £2m fund to encourage more businesses to switch to hydrogen.”
Dr Graham Cooley, ITM Power’s chief executive, said: “The opening of five public access hydrogen refuelling stations in London before the end of 2016 is a big task for us, but car manufacturers like Hyundai have already made huge advancements in hydrogen technology and we’re very excited to be at the cutting edge with them.”
The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell is powered by a 100kW electric motor, can travel almost 600kms per refill. Priced at £53,105 OTR (including part-funding from the Europe-wide HyFive project) it’s available for immediate order directly from Hyundai Motor UK.
