London to get hydrogen taxis ahead of 2012 Olympics

The project aims to develop and integrate robust, high efficiency, Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell hybrid power trains into the classic black London taxi (officially called the LTI TX4), before rolling out the technology in other UK cities by 2014.

System
The fuel cell power trains will be supplemented by batteries, so the vehicles will be able to operate for a full day without refuelling. They will be capable of achieving speeds of up to 75 mph, with the fuel cell power train providing better acceleration than standard taxis. The vehicles will refuel their hydrogen tanks using a network of central depots. The fuel cell system will be able to function at temperatures as low as –20°C and will fit in the space allotted to the engine in the current taxi design.

Speed up
The project is one of sixteen innovative proposals that have recently been awarded £23 million in funding as part of a new government drive to speed up the progress of low carbon vehicle development programmes in the UK.

Credentials
It is a collaboration led by hydrogen fuel cell developer Intelligent Energy, and including Lotus Engineering, London Taxis International (LTI) and TRW Conekt, an engineering and consultancy business.

Chief executive officer at Intelligent Energy, Henri Winand, said, “our technical teams have already successfully integrated fuel cell power systems into motorbikes, delivery vehicles and even aircraft, where we recently provided the power system for the world’s first manned fuel cell powered flight. [...] The taxi project will provide further evidence of our ability to put commercially available hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the market in the coming years, and what better stage to prove the credentials of British innovation than on the way to the 2012 London Olympics,” he added.