19
September
2019
|
13:11
Europe/Amsterdam

New Hydrogen Milestone - Toyota and ride-pooling startup CleverShuttle travel more than 2 million emission-free km in Germany with the Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan Mirai

Summary
  • Hydrogen ride-pooling service was kicked-off in September 2017
  • Deployment in Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart (Germany)
  • World’s most heavily used hydrogen fleet

Hamburg, September 19, 2019 – The second million has been reached: German ride-pooling startup CleverShuttle has travelled more than 2.2 million kilometers emission-free within 24 months and has transported 567,000 passengers using 45 Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan Mirai. (fuel consumption of hydrogen combined 0.76 kg/100 km, combined power consumption 0 kWh/100 km, CO2 emissions combined 0 g/km). While it took 15 months to reach the first million kilometers, CleverShuttle reached the second million in just under ten months.

CleverShuttle, with the involvement of Deutsche Bahn as a shareholder since 2015, is primarily used by people interested in technology and environment who want to be transferred in a CO2 neutral manner. Trips can be booked via an app, after which customers are picked up at a preferred location and driven to their desired destination. By bundling passengers with similar routes, the mobility service ensures low prices, up to 40 percent below conventional taxis.

The cooperation started in September 2017 with initially 20 Toyota Fuel Cell Mirai in Hamburg. Fuelling of the vehicles is done at refuelling stations of H2 MOBILITY, the joint venture established to expand the nationwide hydrogen infrastructure. Thanks to the high level of everyday practicality and reliability of the world’s first fuel cell sedan, CleverShuttle increased the Toyota Mirai fleet up to 45 units that are now being used in Hamburg, as well as in Munich and Stuttgart.

 “We are very pleased to have found the perfect partner in CleverShuttle for our hydrogen technology,” says Ferry M. M. Franz, Director of Toyota Motor Europe – Berlin Office. “With more than 2.2 million kilometres driven, this is the world’s most heavily used hydrogen fleet, demonstrating the innovative, attractive and trouble-free usage of this technology. We would not have been able to bring more than 500,000 people into contact with this forward-looking technology in a faster and better way“, continues Franz.

The Toyota Mirai was introduced in 2014 and has been available in Germany since 2015. It can be ordered by both private and commercial customers. As a top-of-the-range vehicle, the 4.89-meter fuel cell sedan offers its occupants maximum environmental friendliness and maximum comfort thanks to its four individual seats. The emission-free Mirai requires only hydrogen for propulsion, which is converted into electrical energy in the fuel cell that drives the 113 kW/154hp electric engine.

This only creates water vapour as an emission. With a full tank the Toyota Mirai drives up to 500 km, while refuelling takes just under three minutes.

Boilerplate

About Clevershuttle:

CleverShuttle is Germany's leading ride-pooling provider. Their service combines the individual chauffeur service with a novel ride-pooling principle for an environmentally friendly and affordable chauffeur service in German cities.

This project has received funding from the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 671438 and No 700350. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, the Industry Grouping Hydrogen Europe and Research Grouping Hydrogen Europe Research.