Green hydrogen taxis roll out in Brussels

They are a warm-up for the city’s requirement that all new taxis after 2025 must be CO2 neutral

Last Friday, the Brussels-based company Taxi Verts launched their first hydrogen car into service for the Belgian capital. The company launched their test vehicle with the help of Eoly-Energy, a company in the renewable energy sector.

The pilot project for the hydrogen taxi will run for a year and it aims to gauge the efficiency and usability of the car on a mass urban scale. This is because, after 2025, the Brussels Capital Region mandates that all new taxis put into circulation should be CO2 neutral.

Emissions-free taxis in Brussels

As European cities are moving quickly toward decarbonising private vehicles, many companies and individuals are looking for the best options for CO2-neutral personal transport. Although electricity seems to be the default option, hydrogen is picking up speed and more and more cars, freight trucks and even trains are adopting the new tech.

In the case of Brussels’ new taxis, Taxi Vets is launching their prototype with 100% green hydrogen, meaning that the fuel used for the vehicle will be produced using renewable energy exclusively. Additionally, the only by-product of using hydrogen engines is water.

Furthermore, the hydrogen taxi will be operated by two drivers, both trained by Eoly about the particularities of the hydrogen fuel cell. Moreover, according to a press statement by the company, they will become sort-of ambassadors for the technology itself.

On the other hand, their particular experience with refuelling time, range and flexibility of the car will be essential for evaluating the pilot project and the large-scale launch of hydrogen cars.

Jean-Michel Courtoy, CEO of Taxis Verts was quoted in a press release, saying: “We are excited to participate in this innovative pilot project with local partners. Taxis Verts is actively committed to mobility without CO 2 emissions, both with electric vehicles and now also with hydrogen from our partner Eoly.”