Nine automakers sign letter calling for hydrogen power.
A letter of understanding, jointly signed by Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, General Motors / Opel, Honda Motor Co., Renault SA, Nissan Motor Corporation, and Toyota Motor Corporation, was recently submitted to all oil & energy companies and government organizations calling for accelerated development of hydrogen fuelling infrastructure.
It is the stand of the signatory companies that the concerted development of accessible and affordable hydrogen fuelling facilities would enable the successful introduction of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) in the future.
“A hydrogen infrastructure network with sufficient density is required by 2015,” the automakers said in a joint press release today. “The network should be built-up from metropolitan areas via corridors into area-wide coverage.” The companies “strongly support the idea of building-up a hydrogen infrastructure in Europe, with Germany as starting point and at the same time developing similar concepts for the market penetration of hydrogen infrastructure in other regions of the world, with one US market, Japan and Korea as further starting points,” according to the joint release.
Hyundai’s FCEV program, part of their Blue Drive strategy, is on track to expand its demo fleet of FCEVs to 200 units by 2010, with plans to commence limited series production by 2012. As per an official press release published in Autoworld earlier, Hyundai is set to introduce a trio of Blue Drive models at the upcoming IAA 2009 in Frankfurt.
KON
