A hydrogen-powered fuel cell version of the Suzuki Burgman scooter will be tested in Britain from January 2010.
Suzuki unveiled the bike at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show this month, and now a small number of the scooters will be making their way to Britain for testing by motoring journalists from the beginning of next year.
The Burgman fuel cell scooter promises quick refuelling and an ‘enhanced ride quality’ thanks to a new design of high-pressure hydrogen fuel tank.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Hydrogen produced from a sustainable source makes for a very green fuel – unfortunately, until Britain has a network of hydrogen re-fuelling points this type of vehicle cannot get very far.”
How does a fuel cell scooter work?
The Suzuki fuel cell Burgman scooter uses hydrogen rather than batteries to power an electric motor – not having to rely on batteries gives it a lower weight, longer range and a quicker refuelling time.
A spokesperson for the ETA said: “This type of vehicle is wonderfully clean at point of use, but hydrogen is only as clean as the energy sources used to produce it.”
| A brief history | … of the fuel cell |
|---|---|
| 1838 | Principle of the fuel cell discovered by German scientist Christian Schönbein |
| 1959 | First use of fuel cell-driven vehicle – a tractor |
| 1966 | GM Electrovan was first attempt at hydrogen fuel cell-powered car – extremely heavy, it could travel up to 70mph for only 30 seconds |
| 2001 | The Chrysler Natrium was first protoype car with its own on-board hydrogen processor |
| 2008 | Honda launches first production fuel cell car |
| 2009 | Number of hydrogen fuel stations in Britain: 1 |
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