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Hydrogen vehicle trial hailed a resounding success(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The world's first car club trial of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles has been hailed a resounding success. Hyundai loaned Aberdeen's newly-established Commonwheels car club two of its left-hand-drive fuel cell vehicles ahead of the All-Energy Conference and energy storage clean fuel firm ITM Power provided a mobile hydrogen re-fuelling station HFuel to keep the cars running. More than 40 people drove the two Hyundai SUVs, which only emit water, during the high-profile four day trial in Aberdeen and Commonwheels saw a flurry of activity with the number of business and individuals enquiring about car club membership and signing up to it. The left-hand vehicles were refuelled 18 times in total during the Commonwheels trial, using hydrogen produced by an ITM Power mobile refuelling station at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, using wind power and water, before the cars moved onto the All-Energy event. Aberdeen City Council Leader Barney Crockett said: "This new technology is fascinating and has clearly caught the attention of the people of Aberdeen and businesses alike. "The Hyundai cars were in great demand and ITM Power's mobile refuelling station went a long way to dispel the myth that the infrastructure required to power this type of vehicle is years away. "Aberdeen is renowned as an energy city and for being keen to drive forward new energy technologies and work with countries across the world to secure its future as an energy leader. The Commonwheels trial and the use of the cars and refuelling station at All-Energy have helped us to get that message out loud and clear. "I'm grateful to Hyundai, ITM Power and Commonwheels for working with the council on this exciting scheme, which has proven enormously popular." ITM CEO Graham Cooley said: "Aberdeen City Council has grasped the opportunity to demystify hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and show the public how clean hydrogen fuel can be made on site using renewable energy. "The fuel cell vehicle ride and drive demonstration at All-Energy has been a great success. We are very grateful to Aberdeen City Council for their hospitality at All-Energy and have enjoyed working with Hyundai in refuelling their fantastic vehicles, which are available today. " Commonwheels Aberdeen development co-ordinator Tony Archer added: "We are really happy to have been involved in the hydrogen programme. This has been an absolutely fantastic experience for the car club. Our experience with Hyundai cars has taught us that this is what we would be aiming for for the Commonwheels fleet." The Hyundai ix35 FCEV has been selected by the European Commission as the official demonstration vehicle to test and promote hydrogen fuel call technology in real-life driving conditions. The latest model boasts similar levels of convenience and performance to conventional internal combustion cars. Its hydrogen capacity gives it a driving range of 525km on a single fuelling. The Zero Emissions Resource Organisation (ZERO) has successfully driven two Hyundai iX35 fuel cell powered SUVs from Oslo to Monte Carlo, using only existing hydrogen filling stations for refuelling. The vehicles travelled from Gaustad in Oslo, via Denmark, Hamburg, Cologne, Karlsruhe and Freiburg in Germany and Sassenage in France, before arriving in Monte Carlo. The vehicles covered 2,260 km in the five days en-route to Monte Carlo with no support vehicles or mobile refuellers. Hydrogen cars are a very important focus for major international car manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai. The cars have fuel cells that convert hydrogen to electricity and water. However for most people hydrogen is not yet a practical option, as there is still a lack of hydrogen fuelling stations. The creation of a hydrogen infrastructure is one of the challenges to the wider deployment of fuel cell vehicles, and in the UK this is currently being addressed by the UKH2Mobility programme. Aberdeen City Council is supporting the multi-million pound Strategic European Hydrogen Transport Projects to introduce the hydrogen buses to the North-east and has secured 9.2million of EU funding, committed to invest 2 million and will secure a further 9.3million for funding project partners. The expectation is that the projects will stimulate further innovative hydrogen technology projects and high-level investment in the area, realising Aberdeen's aspiration of becoming a world-leading hydrogen city. The project will see up to a dozen buses operating in the North-east. The fleet, which will operate on routes into central Aberdeen, will be the largest in any European city. The buses will be refuelled at Scotland's first large hydrogen refuelling station which will supply locally generated gas and be able to refuel hydrogen-powered cars as they become available. The strategic projects provide the opportunity to create new industry and greater choice in energy production and usage, as well as enabling the development of a hydrogen strategy for the Energetica Development Corridor. The use of hydrogen as a transport fuel offers great promise as a key component of a low carbon energy system. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles emit no harmful emissions, are considerably more efficient than the fossil-fuelled equivalents and are virtually noise free. As well as the benefits to the transport sector, hydrogen has a potentially vital role in the broader energy storage system - if it is generated from intermittent renewable electricity sources, such as wind turbines, it can be stored indefinitely and used for a variety of purposes including as a transport fuel, injection into the natural gas grid and used to generate electricity at times of peak demand. The projects and the further opportunities they bring will widen Aberdeen's capabilities in the energy sector and contribute towards its evolution into a true all-energy centre of excellence. Anyone wishing to find out more about the car club should contact the Commonwheels office on 0845 6028030 or email [email protected] . The scheme is open to motorists who have held a full driving licence for at least 12 months and have fewer than six points on it. ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. 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