The hydrogen-powered taxi fleet called "Hype", launched at the end of 2015 by French start-up STEP (Société du Taxi Electrique Parisien) in partnership with Air Liquide, has reached the 100-taxi landmark thanks to a new delivery of cars by Toyota.

Hype's founder, Mathieu Gardies, received the keys to 25 new hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai cars from the CEO of Toyota France, Didier Gambart, in the presence of Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corporation, Didier Leroy, as well as the CEO of Air Liquide, Benoît Potier; and Director and member of Air Liquide's Executive Committee, François Darchis, in front of the Paris La Défense Arena.

This delivery is a new stage in the deployment of the world's first hydrogen-powered taxi fleet, which will boast 600 vehicles by the end of 2020. Air Liquide continues to support the growth of the "Hype" fleet by building up the necessary network of hydrogen charging stations. These deliveries are part of the ZEFER project, thanks to which Hype is accelerating its development in Paris and which has received funding from the Public Private Partnership on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH JU).

Hydrogen offers a number of benefits for clean transportation. Used in a fuel cell, it combines with the oxygen in the air to produce electricity, with water as the only byproduct. It does not generate any pollution at its point of use: zero greenhouse gases, zero particles and zero noise. Hydrogen brings a concrete response to the challenges of sustainable mobility and local pollution in urban areas. It takes less than five minutes to recharge hydrogen-powered ​electric ​vehicles like ‘Hype taxis’ ​for ​a ​driving ​range ​of ​around 500 ​kilometers.