In the German city of Siegen, a new emergency management vehicle was purchased in 2019. Today, just six years later, it is completely useless and perhaps impossible to get rid of.
The ambitious venture into an emission-free Hyundai Nexo as a fire engine in Siegen ends abruptly. The city's only hydrogen filling station is closing due to a lack of customers.
This also means that the emergency manager's car, which runs on hydrogen, is unusable.
A Hyundai Nexo hydrogen car used as a fire engine in Siegen must be taken out of service. This is because the city's only hydrogen filling station is closing soon. The ambitious project is thus over.
The Siegen fire department is now facing the prospect of having to sell the specially built fire brigade vehicle. The alternative is to drive far – far too far – to even refuel the vehicle.
The operator H2 Mobility has decided to close the filling station from April 1, 2025. The decision is due to too few customers to ensure profitable operation.
This is what Auto Bild writes.
Only seven of the city's own hydrogen cars used the station regularly. In the entire district, only 18 hydrogen cars were registered in total. This is far too low a number.
It is not economically viable to drive to the nearest hydrogen filling stations. They are located in cities like Cologne, Dortmund or Giessen. The trip is too long and expensive.
From pride to disappointment: Nexo's short career
The Hyundai Nexo was proudly presented back in 2021. The car was seen as an important step towards a greener fleet for the city's fire department.
Mayor Steffen Mues called it a milestone at the time. The goal was to make the municipal fleet emission-free as soon as possible.
The conversion of the regular Hyundai Nexo was extensive. The fire department collaborated with a local specialist company on the task of adapting the car.
It took ten months to develop and install the necessary special equipment. The process was based on the existing production model of the Hyundai Nexo.
The infrastructure otherwise seemed to be in place. The hydrogen filling station opened in the Leimbachtal industrial area in June 2019 as part of a larger plan for electromobility.
Selling custom-built hydrogen car proves difficult
The sale of the hydrogen vehicles, including the fire truck, is complicated, however. The purchase was supported by public funds from both the state and the federal government at the time.
Therefore, the cars are tied to a specific period of use according to the rules for the subsidy. That period has often not expired yet, which prevents an early sale.
The situation is even more difficult for the fire truck. Potential buyers among other fire departments are extremely limited due to the special conversion.
The experience of the German city of Siegen shows the challenges of implementing new hydrogen technology in practice, even when the will is there. F
The future of hydrogen cars like the Hyundai Nexo depends on a more widespread infrastructure. You can read more about Hyundai and other car brands' investments in new technology here at Boosted.dk.
