Fleets urged to back calls for UK to match EU hydrogen plans

16th June 2025

Fleets are being called on to back calls for the UK government to match EU targets on hydrogen filling stations, amid warnings of “an almost complete absence of infrastructure”.

FleetCheck pointed to last week’s announcement by BMW at its hydrogen summit that it won’t bring its new fuel cell model to the UK because of the lack of infrastructure, and called for the Government to show the same kind of commitment as the EU.

The European Commission has mandated that by 2030 there should be at least one hydrogen filling station every 120 miles on all major routes, and in all towns with a population of 100,000 or more.

Heartened by such plans, BMW has committed to launching its first hydrogen fuel-cell-powered production model in 2028, but has said it’s not planning to bring it to the UK where there’s currently just three hydrogen filling stations for cars and only three more planned for rollout, data from UK H2 Mobility indicates.

BMW’s head of hydrogen tech, Jürgen Guldner warned: “We sincerely hope that the infrastructure will develop further because right now in the UK it’s not in any condition where it would make sense to launch such a vehicle.”

Peter Golding, CEO at FleetCheck, said: “We’re in a situation where an almost complete absence of infrastructure means we’re in danger of being left behind when it comes to hydrogen, even though there seems to be general agreement among fleets that it has a definite role to play in the future.”

Hydrogen especially appeared to have appeal for commercial vehicle operators, he added, where the adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) was proving slow due to compromises around range and payload.

“It’s widely recognised, for example, that adoption of electric vans is much slower than originally anticipated and, as yet, there are no real answers to the problems that some fleets are experiencing in operational terms.”

Golding pointed to Vauxhall’s new Movano hydrogen van as a potentially viable hydrogen alternative to battery electric vans. Debuted this spring, it offers 250 miles of range and five-minute refuelling.

But he said that unless you can afford to bunker fuel, it’s not a practical proposition for fleets due to the lack of stations – and called on the Government for a more balanced approach that promotes a range of zero-emission fuel options alongside BEVs.

“It seems obvious to operators that some fuel choices are more suitable for certain applications but the UK government approach appears to be almost entirely centred on battery electric vehicles, simply because they are available here and now.

“With the recent changes made to the ZEV mandate providing some more breathing space for the motor industry, one of the potential beneficiaries could be the hydrogen sector, with an investment made in infrastructure. UK fleets should be calling for this to happen.

“The danger is that other manufacturers will come to the same conclusion as BMW, deciding there is little point in bringing their hydrogen models to a country where availability of the fuel is almost non-existent.”