Toyota Joins Mayor’s London Hydrogen Partnership

The development of a hydrogen economy in London will help support the Mayor’s ambitions to secure new jobs and investment whilst at the same time reducing environmental impact.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) are accepted by many as a viable long-term successor to today’s diesel and petrol passenger vehicles, with many major global automaker developing FCEV.  Over the last few years the LHP has initiated over £50 million worth of hydrogen projects; attracting and rolling-out new hydrogen buses, taxis, scooters, refuelling stations, materials handling vehicles and fuel cell Combined Heat and Power units to London.

Deputy Mayor, Kit Malthouse, said: “We want Toyota and the London Hydrogen Partnership to develop a roadmap for fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen refuelling station rollout. Toyota will provide invaluable insights and bring global experience to the Mayor’s innovative ‘smart’ low carbon low emission transport activities. I welcome their commitment to London’s positive economic future”.

Graham Smith, Managing Director, Toyota Motor Europe, London Office commented:
“We are pleased to participate within the London Hydrogen Partnership and add our support to its ambitions to develop and enable clean, sustainable hydrogen fuel cell transport for the capital. Toyota believes this technology offers great potential for sustainable transport and will be among the first manufacturers to bring hydrogen-powered vehicles to the European market in 2015 where hydrogen supply infrastructure is in place.

“With the benefit of our extensive experience in fuel cell research and development as part of our mission to develop low carbon low emission transport, we aim to provide practical insights into how London might best encourage and benefit from hydrogen-powered transport.

“It is important that all interested parties, including vehicle manufacturers and government bodies, work together to help build a lower carbon society. The London Hydrogen Partnership provides an excellent forum for this, ensuring the benefits of fuel cell electric vehicles can be appreciated and realised through co-ordinated dialogue”.

ENDS

Notes to editors

The London Hydrogen Partnership (LHP) is the mechanism that links London’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) stakeholders with each other and with The Mayor of London and Greater London Authority (GLA).  It is a public-private partnership that accelerates the commercialisation of HFC technologies in London.  We have a wide range of industry members including SMEs and multinational companies boasting a wide range of expertise, from fuel cell and vehicle powertrain development and integration to fuel supply and component manufacturer.

The LHP has achieved major successes in recent years, and we have even bigger ambitions and plans for the future.  The LHP core activities include:

• Securing funding:  Over the last few years the LHP has initiated over £50 million worth of hydrogen projects; attracting and rolling-out new hydrogen buses, taxis, scooters, refuelling stations, materials handling vehicles and fuel cell Combined Heat and Power units to London.

• Increasing profile and linking to wider Mayoral agendas and projects:  The LHP will continue to profit from its support from the Mayor’s Office to maximise the impact of major project launches in London. The LHP also enjoys the strong involvement of London’s functional bodies (Transport for London, Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade) who are committed to London’s hydrogen agenda and are already trialling a number of HFC technologies.

• Influencing UK and European policy:  The LHP maintains dialogue with local, regional and national government and is actively promoting the capital’s HFC agenda at the highest levels.  London is also a Board member of HyER (Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Electro mobility for European Regions), providing access to the valuable regional HFC network across Europe and ensuring that relevant European policy meets our members’ needs.

• Networking:  The LHP provides an environment where partners across the hydrogen and fuel cell supply chains meet and develop new commercial partnerships and projects. The LHP supports the development of these projects, for example, through feasibility and funding application support, as well as by engaging with London customers and authorities to make new projects as easy to implement and commercially sustainable.

The LHP continues to catalyse significant and innovative HFC projects in London.  We are also increasing the sector’s profile amongst Government, businesses and Londoners alike. For more information visit london.gov.uk/LHP

What is a ‘fuel cell’? A ‘fuel cell’ generates electricity from an electrochemical reaction, oxidising hydrogen (the energy source) ions with oxygen atoms to form water (rather than using combustion as an internal combustion engine does), in the process electrons are released and flow through an external circuit as an electric current, powering the vehicles electric drivetrain. A fuel cell can run indefinitely as long as it is supplied with a source of hydrogen fuel; with a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle having the benefit of near-silent operation, comparable range to an internal combustion engine, exceptional driveability and no tailpipe emissions.

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