Hychain Mini-Trans is a European demonstration project that links the public up with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The European Union has taken on the task to seeing to it that 150 small urban fuel cell vehicles be made available for use in areas of France, Spain, Germany and Italy.
Drivers of the small vehicles such as minibuses, scooters, utility cars, tricycles and cargobikes can trade in one of the 2,000 empty cylinders of hydrogen gas for full cylinders at designated areas, while testing the vehicles. The Masterflex Cargobike is just one vehicle designated for the Hychain Mini-Trans project.
Hychain Mini-Trans project partner Air Liquide is in charge of the infrastructure deployment for this project. Distributing, filling, collecting and inspecting hydrogen cartridges are the main responsibility areas. Some of the cartridges are filled with pressures up to 10,000 psi.
The goal of the Hychain Mini-Trans project is to demonstrate that hydrogen is a viable energy carrier and that fuel cells are viable energy converters going forward.