Anglo American has announced that H2 Moves Berlin, the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) fleet jointly initiated with Toyota Germany and taxi operator SafeDriver Group-ENNOO, has now driven more than 1 million zero emission km, and has provided over 100 000 customer journeys.
First launched at the end of 2022, H2 Moves Berlin is Germany’s largest FCEV fleet, and forms part of Anglo American’s strategy to help accelerate zero emission transport through the deployment of platinum-enabled hydrogen FCEVs. When used in a fuel cell, platinum serves as the catalyst to generate electricity via a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. This is then used to power the motor of an FCEV, which can be refuelled in five minutes with ranges up to 650 km and is similar to using a petrol or diesel vehicle, but with zero emissions.
Benny Oeyen, Executive Head of Market Development at Anglo American, said: “Hydrogen fuel cells are a critical technology for zero emission electric vehicles and are expected to play an important role in the mix of clean drivetrain technologies needed to effectively and rapidly drive the decarbonisation of all forms of transport. We believe that FCEVs are particularly well suited to vehicle fleets, such as taxis and buses, as well as to heavy duty trucks that require the range and rapid refuelling times without the weight of batteries. At the same time, we are also seeing that FCEVs offer relief to increasingly pressured battery minerals supply chains and can contribute to the stability and sustainability of electric vehicle supply. As a producer of the platinum needed for fuel cell technology, we have been an early supporter of the potential for a hydrogen economy and will continue to actively support the emerging ecosystem of hydrogen-powered transport in Germany, and beyond."
H2 Moves Berlin is leveraging Berlin’s existing hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and the Uber ride-hailing platform and currently has 115 Toyota Mirai vehicles in use, with the fleet looking to expand to as many as 200 vehicles in the coming months.
Thomas Mohnke, Managing Director of the SafeDriver Group, said: “The last few months have shown that our passengers are very enthusiastic about the sustainability and comfort that FCEVs can provide.”
Initiatives like H2 Moves Berlin help the uptake of FCEVs both by aligning end-user demand locations with the supply of vehicles and infrastructure access, and also by providing passengers with the opportunity to directly experience the benefits and convenience of hydrogen-powered mobility. In addition to its existing activities in Berlin, Anglo American is currently identifying future light-duty FCEV deployment opportunities in Europe, China, and the US.