Suzuki Fuel-Cell Scooter earns Whole Vehicle Type Approval

Suzuki has announced that the Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter has become the world’s first fuel-cell vehicle to earn Whole Vehicle Type Approval in the European Union.

The Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter debuted at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show in October 2009. Since February 2010, Suzuki and British company Intelligent Energy, which developed the Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter’s fuel-cell system, have been jointly participating in trials of the scooter on public roads under the aegis of the British government’s Technology Strategy Board. The trials are being conducted in the area surrounding Loughborough University in central England using a single Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter unit. Multiple units are due to be added.

It was initially necessary to obtain Single Vehicle Approval for each Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter unit to be used in the trials. The newly obtained Whole Vehicle Type Approval (a pan-European endorsement reflecting recognition of the Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter’s high levels of environmental performance and safety) means that Single Vehicle Approval is no longer necessary.

The Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter is based on Suzuki’s city-friendly Burgman. It incorporates a light, compact, air-cooled fuel cell and a hydrogen tank that’s positioned inside the frame. Electricity produced by the fuel cell powers a motor for propulsion; the only emission is water. Suzuki is working toward commercializing the Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter as a motorcycle with superior environmental performance. Suzuki aims to make eco-friendly fuel-cell scooters increasingly common in Europe in line with the establishment of hydrogen filling stations and other necessary infrastructure.