A little less than a year ago, I talked about a hydrogen fuel cell Microcab H4 that was presented in London at the 10th Grove Fuel Cell Symposium. Now, five of these FC Microcabs have been presented to the University of Birmingham as part of a hydrogen fleet testing program.
The hydrogen Microcabs will undergo real world testing by delivering mail and recycling materials plus other duties that require a fuel cell vehicle that can run 100 miles on a tank and up to 50 mph. True, you won’t find the FC Microcabs burning down the Autobahn any time soon, but for fleet use in a university or industrial campus setting they seem to be a good match.
Besides a refueling station on campus, Dr Waldemar Bujalski from the Fuel Cells Group, says there are more hydrogen fueling stations being built and coming online in the months to come. So, conceivably the H2 Microcabs will be able to wander off campus and make deliveries to the regions where fuel is available.
The researchers at the University of Birmingham intend to compare the FC Microcabs to other vehicles they have on campus such as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles plus a few electric cars. With London Mayor Boris Johnson cancelling the order for 60 hydrogen fuel cell cars last month, it is refreshing to see that some United Kingdom entities are truly united in pushing forward on the hydrogen front.