Signed at the 3GF conference Copenhagen, in the presence of the Danish minister for transport and director of the International Energy Agency, directorate of sustainable energy policy and technology, the MoU sets out a three-year collaborative project due to begin in 2014.

All four manufacturers have firm plans to launch hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Europe in the near future. Honda’s lower-priced successor to the Insight is scheduled for a 2015 release, matched by Toyota and Nissan’s plans, while Hyundai announced in September that its ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle would be commercially available by the end of 2012.  

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are driven using an electric motor, supplied with power generated by a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The only emission at the point of use is water vapour, and refuelling times are similar to a conventionally-powered vehicle. 

Market success will be highly reliant on establishing a refuelling network for the vehicles, which is at present largely limited to manufacturers' own test facilities.