Hyundai Motor will supply 60 ix35 fuel cell cars to the Paris-based electric taxi start-up STEP (Société du Taxi Electrique Parisien).

The world’s largest fuel cell taxi fleet “hype” (Hydrogen Powered Electric) currently serves the Greater Paris Area with five ix35 Fuel Cell cars that Hyundai Motor delivered in December 2015. The fleet is planned to increase up to several hundred vehicles within five years.

“STEP and Hyundai Motor have committed to bring 60 additional ix35 Fuel Cell taxis to the streets of Paris,” said Thomas Schmid, chief operating officer at Hyundai Motor Europe. “Not only will the fuel cell taxis provide a clean transportation solution for the city, they are also a practical, comfortable and reliable choice for drivers and passengers.”

Compared to a diesel-powered taxi with CO2 emissions of 135g/km and an annual mileage of 100,000 kilometres, the ix35 fuel cell vehicles will save more than 800 tonnes of CO2 per year in exhaust emissions, says Hyundai.

The ix35 Fuel Cell is the world's first mass-produced and commercially available fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Currently there are more than 300 Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell cars on European roads in 12 countries.