Pioneering Coventry-based SME Microcab and hydrogen fuel cell specialists Arcola have taken up a one-week residency at SMMT’s Westminster headquarters to showcase their 2013 Life Without Oil project. Starting today, the manufacturers will be exhibiting the innovative Microcab H2EV fuel cell electric car and an Arcola hydrogen fuel cell.
Measuring just 3.5 metres in length, the Microcab H2EV boasts a Lotus-engineered bonded-aluminium chassis, weighing just 60kg and allowing for both passenger car and commercial vehicle body-styles. Its Arcola/Horizon fuel cell allows the vehicle to travel up to 180 miles on a single 1.8kg tank of hydrogen, which can be filled in just three minutes.
Available in either hybrid or full fuel cell electric guise, the H2EV’s twin 72V motors provide peak power of 40kW, allowing for a top speed of 55mph. Launched in 2010 with technical partners Arcola Energy, Coventry University, Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, Hydrogen South Africa and MIRA, the Microcab H2EV sells approximately 5,000 units worldwide each year.
While the infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is still in its infancy, projects such as the government-led UK H2Mobility, which aims to install 65 charging stations across the UK by 2015 and 1,150 by 2030, are helping to make it a sustainable alternative to conventional fuels. This is further supported by initiatives such as Club H, the world’s first fuel cell car club, which allows its 12,000 users access to 1,000 vehicles across London.
