The EU Commission presented on 11 May the results of a pilot programme launched in 2003 that powered 27 hydrogen-fuel cell public buses in 9 European cities. Called “Clean Urban Transport for Europe” (CUTE), the project has helped cast light on the viability of this emissions-free transportation means.
The small-scale CUTE experiment shows that improvements are still needed in areas such as:
– Design, construction and operation of safe hydrogen supply chains and refuelling stations;
– Efficient production and use of hydrogen;
– Infrastructure optimisation
Against this backdrop, the Commission has launched a new “Hydrogen for Transport” initiative to track the performance of 200 hydrogen-powered vehicles during the next three years. Relying on a €105 million public-private investment – of which the European Commission will contribute €48 million, the series of demonstration projects will target buses, passenger cars, scooters and wheel chairs in both European and non-European cities (Beijing, Perth and Reykjavik).