In Dubai, the trial operation of the "hydrogen taxi" Toyota Mirai.
Passengers will be able to leave Dubai International Airport in the region’s first hydrogen-fueled taxi, according to the Dubai Highway and Transportation Authority (RTA).
Operation Toyota Mirai will be held in trial mode. This is consistent with the RTA's plans to use hydrogen as one of the preferred fuel cells for taxis.
The vehicle of the future is positioned as a car with zero emissions, except for the produced water. It is charged with hydrogen fuel cells and can travel up to 500 km at a single gas station. Refueling is carried out in a few minutes, in contrast to electric vehicles that require a long charge.
The silent car is characterized by a high level of driving comfort and uses Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS) technology, which combines fuel cell technology and hybrid technology.
"The RTA is committed to protecting the environment and saving energy, and environmental sustainability is RTA's strategic goal. This experiment is part of Dubai’s strategy to make Dubai a role model in terms of energy efficiency and low carbon emissions." said Mattar Al Thayer, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.
He added that this initiative helps RTA achieve its goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in taxi service by 2%, as envisaged by the Dubai Supreme Energy Council and the Green Economy program.
Al-Thayer said Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), a subsidiary of RTA, has become the first taxi operator in the Middle East to operate hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
"The RTA will begin trial operation of the vehicle as part of its limousine service at Dubai International Airport to assess the economic viability and environmental benefits," he said.
In 2008, Dubai became the first city in the region to launch a trial launch of hybrid cars in the taxi service, and today about 800 hybrid taxis serve passengers.
The RTA announced plans to replace half of the taxi fleet with green cars by 2021. Now about 20 percent of the fleet of cars are hybrid.
In October, Al Futtaim Motors, in partnership with Air Liquide, opened the first hydrogen fuel cell fuel station in the UAE, at Dubai Festival City.
