Gov’t studying introduction of hydrogen vehicles

Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raymond Tam, announced that the government is conducting studies on the introduction of hydrogen-powered vehicles in Macau.

At a recent Legislative Assembly (AL) Q&A session with lawmakers, Tam, admitting that this is potentially the future of mobility, said that while the authorities are aware of the advantages of these vehicles, they are also concerned about space limitations, as their introduction would require the construction of additional and different types of refueling stations, which, given Macau’s size, the government fears would constitute a waste of land resources.

Hydrogen cars, or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), are electric vehicles that generate their own electricity onboard by converting hydrogen from a tank and oxygen from the air in a fuel cell, powering an electric motor with zero tailpipe emissions, producing only water vapor.

They offer quick refueling – about five minutes, similar to gasoline-powered cars – and long range. However, they rely on the development of hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

Several vehicle models are already in production and used in different countries, such as the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo, as well as the Honda CR-V e:FCEV (a plug-in hybrid version), which are currently available in limited markets, namely Japan, South Korea, some European markets, and the U.S. state of California.

Future developments include additional models from major brands, with Toyota also developing hydrogen trucks and Hyundai unveiling concepts of high-performance vehicles such as the N Vision 74.

Last year, UK startup Riversimple presented the Rasa concept, its first take on hydrogen-powered vehicles, which is said to demonstrate technology that can be applied to different chassis and models.

Similarly, French-Moroccan startup NamX has unveiled the HUV – short for Hydrogen Utility Vehicle – a futuristic hydrogen-powered sport utility vehicle concept developed with Italian firm Pininfarina.

One of the concept’s most notable features is its unique system of six swappable hydrogen capsules for quick refueling, aiming to offer long range (up to 800 km-plus) and performance (300–500 hp) with zero emissions, blending EV smoothness with rapid “refueling” via capsule delivery. The startup is targeting a late-year launch of the first edition of the vehicle.