The city of Le Mans has decided to invest in hydrogen including in fuel cell buses. A dozen of vehicles will be operated by the local operator SETRAM - representing over 10% of the bus fleet. This deployment will take place in collaboration with the region Pays de La Loire and the Automobile Club of Western part of France (ACO). This plans was presented at the Assises de l'automobile.
The station, which will be used to refuel the buses along with other vehicles, will be the first one to be built in the Western part of France. The station is plannned for operation in November 2019. Le Mans is a very interesting location, famous for its race the 24 hours of Le Mans (les 24h du Mans). In this framework a hydrogen protoype race car is being developed by MissionH24 ACO - GreenGT. The hydrogen race car will be ready to participate in the 24 hours of La Mans from 2024.
Stéphane Le Fol, mayor of Le Mans, said: “Le Mans Métropole will be the first metropolis of more than 100,000 inhabitants to have a hydrogen bus in 2019. This fleet will be added to in the years to come. The city shares with its partners, the region and the ACO the ambition to build in our territory an ecosystem around hydrogen. As such, a first H2 event around hydrogen will take place on June 11 at Le Mans in the 24-hour week. Clean energies and new mobility are now decided . »
Source: Ouest France, fuelcellworks, hydrogentoday
