Japanese city of Kitakyushu has announced the beginning of field trials of Japan's first hydrogen fuel cell scooter. The Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter is a hybrid, and functions differently depending on whether you're accelerating (drawing on both battery and fuel cell), cruising (mainly the cell), or idling. It has a range of 217 miles on single tank (350 kms) which is four times the typical range. The scooter uses a PEM fuel cell from the British company Intelligent energy. The scooter has already been undergoing tests by the British Government since Feb 2010. The fueling stations are a part of the Hydrogen Town Project initiated in January 2011 which aims to develop the infrastructure for effectively distributing hydrogen for use in fuel cells at home, offices and vehicles.

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[Nikkei, Sub reqd]