In addition, Daimler has deployed 40 B-Class F-CELL vehicles under H2ME in Germany. With its 700-bar, high-pressure fuel-tank system, the car has a long operating range of around 400 kilometers and can be refuelled in less than three minutes. The vehicle’s electric motor develops an output of 100 kW and, with a torque of 290 N·m, the car combines local emission-free mobility with day-to-day suitability and good performance figures.

Under H2ME, eight European countries are addressing the actions required to make the hydrogen mobility sector ready for market. The largest-scale project of its kind, H2ME will:

• Perform large-scale market tests of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure;

• Deploy hundreds of passenger and commercial fuel cell electric vehicles operated in real-world customer applications; and

• Demonstrate the system benefits generated by using electrolytic hydrogen solutions in grid operations.

In the coming years, the H2ME project will deploy partners’ next-generation FCEVs, including: Symbio’s next-generation FC RE-EV (Fuel Cell Range Extender Electric Vehicle) vans and Symbio Fuel Cell range-extended trucks; Honda’s second-generation FCEV; and Daimler’s next-generation Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CELL, which includes the additional energy source of a large lithium-ion battery and will feature external charging by plug-in technology for the first time.

In total, more than 1,400 FCEVs will be deployed as part of the H2ME project throughout the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. The aim is to increase the number of FCEVs operating on Europe’s roads to build on the strong networks of hydrogen refuelling stations created by H2ME and other initiatives across the EU.

This €170 million demonstration project is co-funded with €67 million from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), a public-private partnership supporting fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies in Europe.

Partners include project lead Element Energy, alongside AGA, Air Liquide Advanced Business, Air Liquide Advanced Technologies, AREVA H2GEN, Audi, BOC, BMW, Cenex, City of Copenhagen (Kobenhavns Kommune), Communauté d’Agglomération Sarreguemines Confluence, Communauté Urbaine Du Grand Nancy, CNR, Daimler AG, Danish Hydrogen Fuel, EIFER, Falkenberg Energi, GNVERT, H2 Logic, H2 Mobility Deutschland, Honda, Hydrogene de France, HYOP, hySOLUTIONS, Icelandic New Energy Ltd, Islenska Vetnisfelagid (H2 Iceland), ITM Power, Linde AG, McPhy Energy, Michelin, Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (Ministerie Van Infrastructuur en Milieu), Nissan, OMV, OPEN ENERGI, Renault, Renault Trucks, SEMITAN, Stedin, STEP, Symbio FCell, The Danish Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (Partnerskab for brint of braensdels cellar), The University of Manchester, WaterstofNet.

The three members of the FCH JU are the European commission; the fuel cell and hydrogen industries, represented by the NEW industry grouping; and the research community, represented by research grouping N.ERGHY.

This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking under grant agreement Nº 671438 and Nº 700350. This joint undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, Hydrogen Europe, and the New European Research Grouping on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (N.ERGHY).