Hydrogen Highway – Phase 1

Fuelling tomorrow’s vehicles today

A unique partnership between Forward Swindon, BOC and Honda has resulted in the UK’s first open-to-all hydrogen vehicle refuelling station. The station opened at Honda’s Swindon-based manufacturing facility in September 2011 to international acclaim. Not only is it the first station in the M4 Hydrogen Highway– a proposed network of stations running from Swansea through Swindon to London. It is also helping drive demand for environmentally sound hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Accelerating the success of hydrogen vehicles

• The UK’s first open-access hydrogen station will support sales of vehicles and encourage manufacturers to develop new models.
• The station fills vehicles at 350 bar and, for the first time, 700 bar, enabling cars to travel much further. This enables the station to refuel new 700-bar models as soon as they appear on the UK’s roads.
• Hydrogen fuel is environmentally friendly – its only emission is water vapour.
• The station reinforces Swindon’s vision to be at the heart of the UK’s low-carbon economy.

Promoting the future of transport

While all major vehicle manufacturers are developing hydrogen-powered vehicles, few refuelling facilities are available to users. Before buying hydrogen-powered cars, people must feel confident they can refuel quickly and easily. However, big fuel companies will not invest in new facilities until there are enough hydrogen cars on the road.

The Swindon hydrogen-vehicle refuelling station helps break this impasse. As the first in the M4 Hydrogen Highway, it provides people and companies with a compelling glimpse of the future – and will inspire additional networks throughout the UK. The result will be a nationwide refuelling network that drives the success of hydrogen-powered transport across the country.