BMW, Hyundai, Stellantis and Toyota sent a joint letter to Executive Vice-President of the EU Commission Frans Timmermans calling for the further expansion of the existing network of 700 bar public hydrogen refuelling stations across Europe.

H2 MOBILITY Germany welcomes the initiative, which underlines the crucial role hydrogen plays in passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The signatory vehicle manufacturers see fuel cell electric vehicles as a complement to battery electric vehicles: while battery electric vehicles still have advantages in life cycle considerations for short distances and light to medium weights, fuel cell electric vehicles are more advantageous for longer ranges and requirements for usual payloads. Most relevant for the customer, fuel cell vehicles can be refuelled in the conventional time of less than 5 minutes and in the future at any time with stored renewable energy.

To reduce vehicle prices, economies of scale are essential for the required cost reduction of fuel cell vehicle components in the passenger car and light commercial vehicle market. Therefore, the initiators call for the further development of the market for fuel cell passenger cars and light commercial vehicles as well as the established (and proven) 700-bar refuelling network. Since the infrastructure is a prerequisite for a market ramp-up, only a combined hydrogen infrastructure development for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles as well as for heavy trucks can create the necessary prerequisite for the transport turnaround, which cannot succeed without hydrogen.

Read the letter here.