Hyundai Motors have supplied five ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles to the Paris-based electric taxi start-up, STEP (Société du Taxi Electrique Parisien) and it is currently the largest fuel cell taxi fleet in the world!
Delivering the largest fuel cell taxi fleet in the world serving the Greater Paris area is the first step in establishing a hydrogen-powered electric taxi service called “hype” (Hydrogen Powered Electric).
Thomas A. Schmid, Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Motor Europe, said: “With this pioneering project, Hyundai Motor and STEP are bringing new sustainable mobility to the streets of Paris. The ix35 Fuel Cell taxis will provide not only a clean solution for the city, but also a practical, comfortable and reliable choice for drivers and passengers.”
Showcasing the every-day usability of hydrogen powered vehicles, the “hype” Paris taxi fleet will demonstrate how reliable fuel cell cars can be when frequently driven. To support this Hyundai are going to build a specialist Hyundai fuel cell retailer which will be used to service the expanding taxi fleet.
With the gradual increase in hydrogen refuelling stations to be installed in 2016, there are plans to expand the fleet up to several hundred vehicles within the next five years. By now the number of Hyundai ix35 fuel cell vehicles on the road in Europe has surpassed 250 units with it being the first ever mass-produced model to be on sale in the region.
Hyundai are adapting to meet the increasing demand for hydrogen powered vehicles and the statistics speak for themselves. An ordinary diesel-powered taxi has CO2 emissions of 135g/km and will travel an annual mileage of 100,000 miles. Compared against the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles, which will save around 70 tonnes of CO2 per year in exhaust emissions as water vapour, is the only element emitted.
Last month at the Scottish Car of Year Awards 2015, the Hyundai ix35 was awarded the top place in the Design/Innovation category recognised for its pioneering technology. Alisdair Suttie, President, Association of Scottish Motoring Writers, commented: “What we particularly like about the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell is that it ‘normalises’ hydrogen power by using a bodystyle that happens to be the marque’s second best-seller in Scotland.”
The award came just days after the completion of the manufacturer’s ‘A Car Named Hyundai’ challenge which saw the ix35 travelling over 2,000 miles around the streets of London which emitted zero harmful emissions. Cameras were mounted on the ix35 as it rode around the city for 50 days capturing over 500,000 photographs, which resulted in the creation of a stunning mosaic, see the time-lapse video below:
23rd June 2015
Hyundai Supplies First Fuel-Cell Car For Fleet
Hyundai UK has handed over the ix35 Fuel Cell to mining company Anglo American. The car is the first mass-produced fuel-cell electric vehicle in the world.
The venue for the event was a new hydrogen refuelling station at a supermarket in Hendon. The station is the latest in a growing list of UK refuelling facilities by Air Products.
Anglo American has its headquarters in London and will use the hydrogen-powered vehicle for special occasions and business use.
Andrew Hinkly, Executive Head of Marketing for Anglo American, said, “As society adopts ever more challenging emissions targets, we expect the use of zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles to increase significantly.
“We are actively supporting the development of this new technology, which will stimulate future demand for platinum, which is a key ingredient to this innovative vehicle technology.”
Robin Hayles, Sustainable Fuel Development Manager, Hyundai UK, said, “Anglo American is an important customer for Hyundai and one of the first outside of the hydrogen industry.
“The company understands the need to promote Fuel Cell as a viable alternative to internal combustion and increase the demand for this clean and sustainable technology.”
The handover to Anglo American comes just as Hyundai Motor UK announced that the ix35 Fuel Cell’s on the road price will be £53,105. That includes part-funding from the HyFive project. The initiative involves five manufacturers that have undertaken to deploy 110 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in six European locations, including London, and create clusters of refuelling stations.
The fuel-cell industry has also recently been boosted by the British Government announcing that it will divert £6.6 million to the UK’s hydrogen infrastructure.
This network will kick off with 12 hydrogen refuelling stations, including two in Greater London and another in the south of England. Other existing stations in Sheffield, Swindon, Wales and London will be refurbished.
The Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell is the world’s first mass-produced fuel-cell electric vehicle. The car has been distributed on a trial basis through Hyundai channels since 2013.
The ix35 can now be seen in 15 countries (11 in Europe). It positions Hyundai as a technical leader and a pioneer in low-emissions motoring. That’s alongside a raft of awards for high-quality design.
You can order the ix35 Fuel Cell directly from
Hyundai Motor UK. To test drive any other vehicle from Hyundai’s stylish and innovative range, call in at Howards Hyundai showroom in Yeovil.