H2 Moves Berlin, the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) project initiated in late 2022 by Anglo American together with Toyota Germany and leading taxi operator SafeDriver Group-ENNOO, has now driven more than one million zero emission kilometres, and provided over 100,000 journeys.
Utilising the Uber platform and targeted deployment as rides at high-profile Berlin events such as the Berlinale film festival and the Special Olympics, this means the Toyota Mirai fleet – currently 115 strong, but looking to expand to up to 200 – has now driven the equivalent of more than 25 times round the earth.
The scheme is part of Anglo American’s efforts to help accelerate zero emission mobility through the deployment of platinum-enabled FCEVs. When used in a fuel cell, platinum serves as the catalyst to generate electricity via a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.
These types of schemes help the uptake of FCEVs both by aligning end-user demand locations with the supply of vehicles and infrastructure access, but also by providing passengers with the opportunity to directly experience the benefits and convenience of hydrogen-powered mobility.
The Mirai’s long range and short refuelling times have proven popular with both drivers and users, with the FCEV fleet providing significantly more rides per vehicle than other zero emission ride-sharing options.
“The last few months have shown that our passengers are very enthusiastic about the sustainability and comfort that FCEVs can provide,” said Thomas Mohnke, Managing Director of the SafeDriver Group. “Our drivers meanwhile appreciate the driving performance of an electric car with the range and refuelling speed of a combustion engine. As a fleet operator looking to minimise cars’ downtime while delivering zero emission mobility, FCEVs simply make sense.”
Benny Oeyen, Executive Head of Market Development, 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. At the same time, we are also seeing that FCEVs offer relief to increasingly pressured battery minerals supply chains and hence can contribute to the stability and sustainability of electric vehicle supply.
“As a leading 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.”
In addition to its existing activities in Berlin, Anglo American is currently progressing future light-duty FCEV deployment opportunities in the US, Europe, and China. In the Chinese city of Foshan for instance, Anglo American is currently aiming to upgrade more than three 70Mpa hydrogen refueling stations in the next year and to deploy more than 500 FCEVs over the next three.
