Breaking Our Reliance on Fossil Fuels

The Growing Outlook for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles 

While automotive manufacturers take action to care first for their employees, families, and communities, they’re closely watching for key changes and decisions that will color their strategic business planning in the years to come:

September was a busy month for Haskel Europe, with the decommissioning, relocation and recommissioning of two hydrogen refueling stations (HRS).

Haskel, which has been providing hydrogen refueling solutions for several years was recently challenged to decommission, relocate, and recommission one of its earlier hydrogen refueling stations. Initially supporting the French postal service (La Poste), the station was located in Luxeuil. Haskel successfully relocated and safely recommissioned the station in Grand Dole, becoming the first hydrogen fuel distribution station in the region.

With his previous experience in hydrogen and fuel cells product sales, Guy Verkoeyen brings a distinct advantage to the Haskel team. He's joined the company to take on a key role in continuing our growth within the hydrogen market. We sat down with Haskel’s newest employee to discover what is in store for him at Haskel.

As the world continues to shift its resources and focus toward producing clean energy, hydrogen fuel cell technologies have grown exponentially and have started making their way toward commercialization. Companies and governments around the world are taking action to promote green energy in a growing effort to minimize their carbon footprint. Major car companies like Toyota, Hyundai, and Audi have emerged as leaders in bringing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to the consumer market. Manufacturers are making significant investments in fuel cell refueling stations in order to provide infrastructure for these vehicles, encouraging market adoption.

Hydrogen technologies are slowly becoming part of consumer life in many countries, but in China the hydrogen market is very much a part of daily life. Beginning operation in late 2018, one of the world’s largest refueling stations keeps China’s hydrogen buses – and its people – moving all day long.

The International Energy Agency estimates that there were 3.1 million electric vehicles (EVs) on the road at the end of 2017 and predicts that there will be 125 million by 2030.

Consumers rank not having enough access to efficient charging stations as the third most serious barrier to EV purchase, behind price and driving range. That’s according to McKinsey’s 2016 EV consumer survey of buyers considering battery-powered EVs in China, Germany, and the United States. With EV prices declining and ranges expanding, charging could soon become the top barrier.

In case you missed it, Toyota’s hydrogen-fueled Mirai road-tripped across Europe for the past year and a half. What began with a trip from Denmark to Italy in July of 2016 has become a series of transcontinental treks, demonstrating the tremendous commitment Europe has made toward fueling the cars of the future. The European network of hydrogen fueling stations has continued to expand, and technology enthusiasts as well as environmentally conscious motorists have begun paying close attention to the great distances the Mirai can travel. According to the European Alternative Fuels Observatory, there are 82 operational hydrogen filling stations across the continent as of March 2018.

As the hydrogen market continues to grow, Haskel continues to develop technology advancements and further its expertise in hydrogen. The development of the Haskel Global Hydrogen Systems Group is one of the key ways we are ensuring the needs of customers are being met in this evolving market. With this team of experienced professionals dedicated to advancing knowledge and the opening of the new Hydrogen Test Center in Sunderland, Haskel aims to offer customers unparalleled hydrogen expertise.