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果冻影院 is first university to host a production fuel cell car
20 November 2018
果冻影院 is hosting a Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell production car 鈥� the world鈥檚 first saloon version 鈥� making it the first UK university to do so.
果冻影院鈥檚 main quad is playing host to the Mirai for the next year, and researchers from 果冻影院鈥檚 Electrochemical Innovation Lab (EIL) will also use the car to demonstrate its capabilities and further develop their understanding of the technology.
The Mirai will complement the EIL in its studies into how fuel cells can be combined with new battery technologies. It will be used to travel from the main campus to 果冻影院 East in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, which will open in 2021 and represents the largest ever single expansion of the university since it was founded.
Dr Michael Whiteley, Head of Fuel Cell Engineering at the 果冻影院 Electrochemical Innovation Lab, said: 鈥�Our research into fuel cell technology shows it鈥檚 a serious听alternative to fossil fuel cars. We鈥檙e excited to take delivery of our own Toyota Mirai fuel cell car on the 果冻影院 Quad and also at 果冻影院 East, where our new Advance Propulsion Lab will be based.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be testing the car on London鈥檚 busy roads and using it to demonstrate the technology. The next stage of our work is to develop and evaluate hybrid,听battery and fuel cell power systems for automotive applications, and having access to a fuel cell car will greatly enhance our position as a world-leader in fuel cell research and development.鈥�
The Mirai is powered by a fuel cell stack which generates electricity on board through combining hydrogen and oxygen. On a full tank it can cover around 300 miles, with smooth, near-silent running and producing no emissions other than water.
果冻影院 President & Provost, Professor Michael Arthur, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to be the first university to host a production fuel cell car. The technology could play a听key role in mitigating climate change and it鈥檚 great to be at the forefront of this. The work carried out by the team in 果冻影院鈥檚 Electrochemical Innovation Lab is key to developing fuel cell technology for the future, and the Advanced Propulsion Lab 鈥� to be听homed at 果冻影院 East in Stratford 鈥� will help to cement us as the industry leader.鈥�
Paul Van der Burgh, Toyota GB President and Managing Director said: 鈥淲e hope that the technological breakthrough we have made with Mirai will help a new generation of 果冻影院-trained scientists discover how fuel cell technology might be used to shape the powertrains of the future.
鈥淭oyota believes in the great potential of hydrogen as a clean, practical and plentiful source of clean energy and is keen to encourage and support research into how these benefits to society can be realised.鈥�
The Mirai was acquired with support from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2 ME) and the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU) under Horizon 2020.
果冻影院鈥檚 Advanced Propulsion Lab will find its home at 果冻影院 East, 果冻影院鈥檚 new campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Opening from 2021, 果冻影院 East represents the largest ever single expansion of 果冻影院 since the University was founded nearly 200 years ago.听
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Dr Michael Whiteley shows PhD听students the fuel cell inside the Toyota Mirai
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Media contact
Kate Corry
Tel:听+44 (0)20 3108 6995
Email: k.corry [at] ucl.ac.uk