Fuel cell vehicles in Scandinavia defied the winter

The first results of fuel cell vehicle testing in Scandinavia during the past winter have shown a very satisfying reliability with no impact of the cold weather. In six months fuel cell vehicles from Daimler, Hyundai and Th!nk drove 62,500 kilometres in Norway and Denmark and fuelled 750 kg of hydrogen at refuelling stations in the two countries. The vehicles were driven by regular users for both short and long drives and at temperatures down to below minus twenty degrees. Refuelling times were consistently below 4 minutes for a full tank of up to 500 kilometres and at a cost of driving comparable to gasoline.

In November last year the H2moves Scandinavia demonstration project commenced operation of fuel cell vehicles in Oslo and Copenhagen and of a new large scale refuelling station in Oslo. Results from the first six months of operation have now been published in a new report.

The vehicle fleet consists of the latest fuel cell vehicle generation from Daimler and Hyundai as well as TH!NK battery electric vehicles retrofitted with a fuel cell system. The vehicles have shown a high reliability over the months. Neither long term parking nor operation at temperatures below minus twenty degrees showed any effect on the fuel cell systems during the winter period.

In total 750 kg of hydrogen were refuelled at stations in Norway and Denmark, of which 342 kg alone was dispensed at a new refuelling station in Oslo opened by H2 Logic as part of the H2moves Scandinavia project.

The Oslo station was available 96% of all time. 65% of all down-time situations could be solved within a half hour. The station complies with the important global SAE J2601 refuelling standard and offers refuelling times of less than 4 minutes for a full tank.

Throughout the entire operation period safety of the vehicles in customer hands and refuelling station operations was preserved at all times.

H2moves is co-financed by the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, the national programs Transnova in Norway and EUDP in Denmark.

For a comprehensive report, please use this link: http://tinyurl.com/h2mS-Report

Vehicles and stations will continue its operation and further results will be published in early 2013.

Further information:

Ulrich Bünger, H2moves Scandinavia Coordinator,

Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH, Munich, Germany

Coordinator@h2moves.eu, +49 89 608110-42

H2moves Scandinavia - Key facts & results

Test period: November 2011 to April 2012

19 fuel cell electric vehicles

• 10 Mercedes B-Class F-CELL
• 4 Hyundai ix35 FCEV
• 5 TH!NK City Hydrogen

62,500 km driven Vehicle availability of 99-100%

Existing Hydrogen refuelling stations in Norway & Denmark

• 1 H2moves H2Station® in Oslo, Norway, built and operated by H2 Logic A/S

360 refuellings - total 750 kg

• 342 kg in 155 refuellings at the Oslo Station

Refuelling time of less than 4 minutes

Station availability of 96%

No safety related incidents on vehicles or station