Hydrogen at Honda

The UK’s first public hydrogen refuelling station has been opened at the Honda manufacturing plant in Swindon.

Although hydrogen-powered cars are still very much in their infancy, owners can now fill up at Honda’s manufacturer’s station, midway between London and Swansea near the M4, which has facilities for both 350 and 700 bar – the two standard filling pressures for major manufacturers of hydrogen powered vehicles.

The innovative station, which allows vehicles to be filled in quick succession from a bank of hydrogen cylinders, is the result of a partnership between Honda industrial gas company BOC and economic development company Forward Swindon.

The Swindon site aims to encourage the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles and the infrastructure to support them, with the hope that more fuelling stations will open in the near future, creating an essential network across the country.

Thomas Brachmann, Head of Electrical Powertrain Research and Development at Honda says: ‘Hydrogen fuel cell technology is the ultimate transport solution, meeting environmental demands but also delivering the range and performance that customers expect.’