All taxi drivers who own a zero-emission car, such as a hydrogen fuel car, will now be guaranteed a taxi licence. 300 out of the new 500 taxi licences in 2019 and 2020 will be set aside for zero-emission vehicles.
“It’s very positive that all Danish taxis have become green. Taxis contribute hugely to the levels of CO2 emissions, especially in city areas, and therefore we welcome the new benefits for taxis,” said Tejs Lausten Jensen, CEO for Hydrogen Denmark.
“Water is the only emission that comes from a hydrogen car. Its engine is soundless, which provides for a pleasant ride for both the passenger and the taxi driver.”
“Now that the Danish government also commits itself to make the taxi sector green, we will see much more hydrogen fuelled taxis in Copenhagen and the other Danish cities. It is an important step towards the green transition,” said Jensen.
Hydrogen taxis are already common in Copenhagen, with more hydrogen taxis joining the city soon supported by the European H2ME2 project.
“Hydrogen taxis are becoming increasingly popular in the European capitals thanks to the FCH-JU funded projects such as H2ME2. Hydrogen is the ideal fuel for taxis due to the long driving range and a short refill time of only three minutes,” said Bart Biebuyck, Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH-JU).
“Moreover, hydrogen-powered vehicles have no emissions expect water vapour, which make them an ideal solution for reducing traffic pollution in the cities. I hope that we will soon see many more of them in Denmark and in Europe,” Biebuyck concluded.