Where can I buy hydrogen and where is my nearest hydrogen filling station?

Hydrogen fuel-cell cars present an interesting alternative to battery-electric cars, as they can be topped up quickly at a refuelling station – just like a regular petrol or diesel-powered car. Hydrogen cars also offer a greater range than the majority of EVs, with the second-generation Toyota Mirai saloon capable of covering roughly 400 miles between fill ups.

It is a compelling idea to have a clean car which can be used to drive for long distances between fill ups and refills in a matter of minutes, hydrogen cars don't feature any compromises in terms of space or practicality from batteries under the floor either. Plus, the only emissions from the tailpipe are water, and if the hydrogen is created using 100% renewable sources, it’s entirely sustainable. But there are some limitations to hydrogen power.

Firstly, there are currently just two hydrogen fuel-cell cars on sale in the UK: the aforementioned Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai NEXO SUV. The latter is now only offered to business customers on a lease with very limited availability and with a wait of between 8 months to a year for delivery. Hydrogen-powered versions of the Renault Master LCV and Vauxhall Vivaro Electric vans are on sale in Europe, but neither have landed on British shores to date.

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BMW has created a fleet of 100 hydrogen-powered versions of its X5 SUV, one of which we drove back in February 2023, but you can't buy one. Instead, they'll serve as rolling laboratories to see if hydrogen really does have a place in the future of cars. 

Hyundai is also working on other hydrogen-powered cars, including a production version of its internet-breaking N Vision 74 concept that was unveiled in 2022 but it's unclear when the road-going model will arrive in showrooms. 

But not only is there a highly limited selection of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles available at this point in time, the number of hydrogen filling stations in the UK has in fact been receding in recent years, rather than expanding.

​Where can I find a UK hydrogen refuelling station?

There are currently just six hydrogen filling stations open in the UK that you can use to fill up a hydrogen fuel cell car, down from 10 in March 2022. One of these stations is located within London (but was closed for maintenance as of April 2024), with one in the Peak District, one in Birmingham, one in Swindon and two in Scotland. Below is the full list of UK hydrogen filling stations available to the public:

Shell has also closed all three of its hydrogen filling stations in the UK which were located at Beaconsfield Services, Cobham Services and Gatwick Airport. The other two stations that closed in 2023 are the Rainham filling station and the one in Teddington, both of which were run by ITM Power.

Although the UK hydrogen refuelling network has been shrinking, it is likely to increase again in future. In August 2023 a company called Element 2 won £8 million in government funding to build four new hydrogen refuelling stations, one of which is planned to be at Teesside Airport and due to go live in 2024.

How long does it take to fill a car with hydrogen and how much does it cost?

Hydrogen cars are as easy to fill as a petrol or diesel one. It takes around five minutes to fill a tank. The pumps are similar to those at a conventional fuel station, and you plug the nozzle into your car in the same way. A kilogramme of hydrogen costs around £10-£15 in the UK. As an example, the Toyota Mirai’s fuel tank holds 5.6kg, so it will cost more than £50 to fill up.