Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell drivers now have more options than ever for refuelling, following the opening of a new high-tech site in Teddington, Greater London. Developed in partnership with ITM Power, the new filling station is based at Teddington’s National Physical Laboratory, and is just the first of five new hydrogen sites planned for the London area this year.
It joins other high-tech facilities in Hendon, Heathrow, Swindon and Sheffield, and is the latest new filling station to be opened as part of the British government’s £6.6 million hydrogen infrastructure investment strategy. Part of the investment will also include the building of the four additional hydrogen stations in and around London, including one in Rainham, East London, near to Canary Wharf.
Coinciding with the launch of the new hydrogen station in Teddington, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles launched the Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Fleet Support Scheme. This new £2m fund allows public and private sector fleets to get as much as 75% off the cost of new hydrogen-powered vehicles, including ix35 Fuel Cell, bought by April 2017, as well as the cost of running them for three years. Interested businesses must submit a bid to be part of the scheme by Monday 4 July.
With the ix35 Fuel Cell already in use by businesses such as Johnson Mathey, TfL, Air Products, ITM Power and Anglo American, Hyundai has seen demand grow in line with developments in the refuelling infrastructure. There are nearly 400 ix35 Fuel Cells on the road globally and 15 in the UK.