UK Plans to Be the Leader in the Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles

The government expects hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to account for 50% of the UK auto market by the middle of the century.

The UK government plans to make Britain the global leader in the hydrogen fuel-cell technology and it plans to increase the number of hydrogen powered cars to 1.6 million by 2030 and a market share of between 30% and 50% by 2050. Michael Fallon, the business minister, Great Britain should find quick solution to attract investment in hydrogen-powered vehicles, as the auto industry is under pressure to manufacture more environmentally friendly vehicles.

“We want to see world-class companies and experts in this sector established here in the UK,” he told the Financial Times. “There is no reason why we can’t lead the field in this development.”

GM designed such as vehicle back in 1966 and called it the ‘Electrovan’, but the expansion of the fuel-cell electric vehicles has been held back by the lack of refueling stations and the technical challenges. Now, Hyundai and Toyota plan to introduce hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2015, and so the UK government is struggling to make this market a center not only for developing but also for manufacturing.

Japan is already using several Hydrogen buses, prototype vehicles are in use in other markets, and hydrogen refilling stations have already been installed in Japan, Scandinavia, Germany, California and the UK.