Anglo American announces that H2 Moves Berlin, the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) fleet jointly initiated 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 customer journeys.
First launched at the end of 2022, H2 Moves Berlin is Germany’s largest FCEV fleet, and forms part of Anglo American’s strategy to help accelerate zero emission transport through the deployment of platinum-enabled hydrogen FCEVs. When used in a fuel cell, platinum serves as the catalyst to generate electricity via a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. This is then used to power the motor of an FCEV, which can be refuelled in five minutes with ranges up to 650km and is similar to using a petrol or diesel vehicle but with zero emissions.
Benny Oeyen, Executive Head of Market Development at Anglo American, 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. We believe that FCEVs are particularly well suited to vehicle fleets, such as taxis and buses, as well as to heavy duty trucks that require the range and rapid refuelling times without the weight of batteries. 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.”
H2 Moves Berlin is leveraging Berlin’s existing hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and the Uber ride-hailing platform and currently has 115 Toyota Mirai vehicles in use, with the fleet looking to expand to as many as 200 vehicles in the coming months.
“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.”
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. Beyond the Uber platform, the project has also been actively supporting Berlin’s busy public events calendar by providing shuttle services at high-profile events such as the Berlinale, Greentech Festival and the Special Olympics.
“H2 Moves Berlin proves that alternative drivetrains and everyday use go hand in hand. In more than 100,000 trips across the capital, the Mirai taxis have easily covered more than a million kilometres. This milestone underlines the reliability of hydrogen-powered vehicles,” said André Schmidt, President and Managing Director of Toyota Germany. “I am delighted that Toyota is able to contribute to this flagship project.”
Initiatives like H2 Moves Berlin 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. In addition to its existing activities in Berlin, Anglo American is currently identifying future light-duty FCEV deployment opportunities in Europe, China, and the US.
About Anglo American
Anglo American is a leading global mining company and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive operations, with a broad range of future development options, provides many of the future-enabling metals and minerals for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast growing every day demands of billions of consumers. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to discover new resources and to mine, process, move and market our products to our customers – safely and sustainably.
As a responsible producer of copper, nickel, platinum group metals, diamonds (through De Beers), and premium quality iron ore and steelmaking coal – with crop nutrients in development – we are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2040. More broadly, our Sustainable Mining Plan commits us to a series of stretching goals to ensure we work towards a healthy environment, creating thriving communities and building trust as a corporate leader. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock enduring value from precious natural resources for the benefit of the communities and countries in which we operate, for society as a whole, and for our shareholders. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives.
Read the most up to date Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry news at FuelCellsWorks
