• Analyze in detail the specific UK case for the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles as one of a number of solutions to decarbonize road transport and quantify the potential emissions benefits;

• Review the investments required to commercialise the technology, including refueling infrastructure; and

• Identify what is required to make the UK a leading global player in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle manufacturing thereby paving the way for economic opportunities to the UK, through the creation of new jobs and boosting of local economies.

UKH2Mobility will deliver its evaluation of the potential of hydrogen as a transport fuel by the end of 2012. If the results are positive, an action plan will be developed to work through the steps needed to get the UK ready to be one of the first markets for the global commercial roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

The three UK Government Departments are The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; The Department for Transport; and the Department for Energy and Climate Change—in addition to the European Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH-JU) is a public-private partnership established on 14 October 2008 until 2013. Autonomous since November 2010, it is the first partnership under the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), technology pillar of the EU’s energy and climate policy. Its goal is to accelerate the development of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies to enable their commercialization between 2010 and 2020 and give Europe a leading economic position in the domain of clean energy and transports.

Industry partners to the Memorandum of Understanding are:

• Air Liquide Hydrogen Energy, SA
• Air Products PLC
• Daimler AG
• Hyundai Motor Company
• Intelligent Energy Limited
• ITM Power PLC
• Johnson Matthey PLC
• Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited
• Scottish and Southern Energy plc
• Tata Motors European Technical Centre plc
• The BOC Group Limited
• Toyota Motor Corporation
• Vauxhall Motors

The UK is proving itself to be a key early market for ultra-low emission vehicles with growing numbers of electric and plug-in hybrids appearing on our roads. The Government is supporting this market by investing £400 million [US$615 million] to support the development, demonstration and deployment of low and ultra-low emission vehicles.

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are increasingly being recognized as one of the viable options as we move to a lower carbon motoring future. They are highly efficient, can be fueled in minutes, travel an equivalent range to a conventional combustion engine, and have zero tail-pipe emissions.

UKH2Mobility will bring together industry expertise to establish the UK as a serious global player in the manufacture and use of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and the supporting infrastructure.

—Business Minister Mark Prisk