It’s groovy, baby, as Austin Powers might say that a hydrogen fueling station is opening at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, which is currently the country’s only station. London had a temporary station that opened in 2005 by oil giant BP as part of the CUTE demonstration hydrogen bus program, but this was discontinued last year.
The University of Birmingham hydrogen fueling station was put in place by Air Products, which has opened other stations worldwide, particularly in California. The UK station will be able to accommodate up to six vehicles per day and will be used to conduct a 2-year test trial on fuel cell vehicles.
This will be the first of at least 12 hydrogen fueling stations planned to be opened in the UK by 2010. And, its no wonder since England is sorely in need of fueling stations for all of the hydrogen vehicles being developed or imported there. For instance, the UK is now developing or importing hydrogen ferryboats, bicycles, full-size buses, minibuses, microcabs, student racecars and a fleet of 70 Honda FCX fuel cell police cars to be used by Scotland Yard.
Air Products is working with the Transport for London to build additional hydrogen fueling stations to accommodate these fuel cell police vehicles due to rollout by 2010. Of course, barring an intervention by Dr. Evil, you may just see a bunch of British Bobby’s bobbing around in fuel cell squad cars in the near future. Oh, behave!
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