A fleet of five hydrogen powered cars have been unveiled at the University of Birmingham.

Designed and built by Microcab, the cars are being used in a study by the university’s School of Chemical Engineering to find out more about the viability of hydrogen in transport. Researchers will learn about their efficiency, performance and how they can be adapted to make hydrogen an attractive and cost effective option as a future fuel.

The cars can travel up to 100 miles on a full tank of hydrogen and reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

Professor Kevin Kendall, lead investigator for the project and head of the university’s Fuel Cells Group, says:

“The cars will now start to carry out tasks on the campus, including postal deliveries, recycling of materials and duties around the estate. This will enable us to test the car components for reliability, get the cars road-legal and confirm their efficiency and cost effectiveness.”

The university has a refuelling station on its campus, with more Midlands fuelling stations expected over the coming months.

The hydrogen is supplied by Green Gases Ltd, which says it is produced by ‘green’ means – manufactured from renewable energy, resulting in a considerable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions when compared with conventionally produced hydrogen.

You can find out more here.

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