The Australian state Queensland has added five Hyundai NEXO fuel cell vehicles to QFleet for a trial; they join 100 electric vehicles already in the State Government fleet and will be available to frontline health staff, educators and community workers.

Support for Queensland’s hydrogen industry is a key part of the Palaszczuk Government’s plan for recovery from COVID-19.

These head-turning vehicles will be fueled with home-grown Queensland hydrogen as they are tested in on-road conditions over the next three years. Leasing them as part of our trial of fuel cell electric vehicle technology highlights the fact that QFleet—the government’s fleet manager—continues to drive Queensland’s renewable transport options.

This trial aims to accelerate the uptake of hydrogen technology and support Queensland’s push to position itself as a global hydrogen superpower. It will demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of hydrogen for passenger vehicles and possibly lead the way for hydrogen’s roll-out to trucks, trains and marine applications. This, in turn, helps grow our local hydrogen supply chain and that means more jobs for Queenslanders in this emerging sector.

It means jobs sourcing raw materials for renewable hydrogen production and manufacturing state-of-the-art technology, right through to exporting this renewable energy to an increasingly hydrogen-hungry world market.

—Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni

QFleet now has more than 100 electric vehicles in its stable and is well on track to hit its target of 144 electric vehicles by the end of 2021, and 288 by the end of 2022, de Brenni said.