A number of leading motor manufacturers, hydrogen fuel suppliers and energy consultancies from around the world have met in London to sign a £31m agreement to help develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as a viable and environmentally friendly option for European motorists in the future.

The agreement, known as the HyFive Project (Hydrogen For Innovative Vehicles), includes BMW, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai and will involve the deployment of 110 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles across a range of European cities, together with the development of clusters of hydrogen refuelling stations.

Fuel Cell Technology uses hydrogen gas combined with oxygen from the atomosphere to generate electric power with no harmful tailpipe emissions – only water vapour. What's more the potential for these cars to be twice as fuel-efficient as conventially powered vehicles, plus faster refuelling times and a longer range between re-fuels, could mean these vehicles provide an excellent future transport solution.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, commented “To sell this technology we need to show Londoners and the wider world that it is not science fiction. By building the vehicles and the filling stations and allowing people to kick the tyres we will be able to demonstrate that hydrogen is a viable option and that London is at the forefront of efforts to make it so.”

Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology is still in its infancy, but its environmental credentials are unquestionable and if an infrastructure can be built to help showcase and sustain this new alternative fuel, it could become an exciting option for the future.  We'll be watching and reporting on HyFive's progress with much interest...