The other type of hydrogen car is a hydrogen combustion vehicle. These cars are fitted with a combustion engine, but it is specifically engineered to burn hydrogen instead of traditional fuels. Having a traditional engine means these cars still come with an exhaust pipe, but as hydrogen only produces water when it combusts, there are no CO2 emissions to worry about. This setup has been used in motorsport and a number of prototype road cars by brands including Toyota and Alpine.
How to refuel a hydrogen car
If you can find a place to buy it, refuelling a hydrogen car is very similar to filling up with petrol or diesel. You simply drive up to a pump (usually located on a station forecourt), open the car’s filler flap and insert the nozzle.
Filling up with hydrogen is also almost as quick as traditional refuelling, too, as it takes around 5 minutes to fill a tank. This is undoubtedly an advantage over the long waiting times associated with charging a battery electric car, even when using a rapid charger.
There are currently six hydrogen filling stations in the UK that are open to the public, but this number has fallen in recent years, so finding hydrogen stations has become a little more difficult than it used to be.
| Name | Location |
| Aberdeen Hydrogen Centre (Aberdeen City Council) | Aberdeen – AB12 3FT |
| Hydrogen Refuelling (BOC) | Aberdeen – AB25 3RF |
| Motive Fuels (ITM Power) | Birmingham – B25 8DW |
| Hatton Cross (ITM Power) | London – TW6 2GE |
| AMP (ITM Power) | Sheffield – S60 5WG |
| Honda Manufacturing (BOC) | Swindon – SN3 4QS |
Hydrogen cars available in the UK
At the time of writing, there are only two mainstream hydrogen-powered cars on sale in the UK. However, these cars have only sold in fairly small numbers, so you might struggle to spot them on the road unless you live close to one of the country’s few hydrogen filling stations.
Toyota Mirai
Toyota is no stranger to experimenting with cleaner fuels, and the Toyota Mirai is the brand’s first-ever mainstream hydrogen car, now in its second generation. This futuristic-styled family car can cover over 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen, but prices have climbed well above £60,000.
Hyundai Nexo
SUVs are big business in the UK, and the Hyundai Nexo is the Korean brand’s solution for those who don’t quite fancy an electric SUV but do want to cut out their exhaust emissions. With 461 litres of boot space and a spacious cabin, the Nexo is ideal for family use. However, it also sits firmly north of the £60,000 mark.