Team:Macquarie Australia/Entrepreneurship

Overview

We are living in a world of extremes. Temperatures are soaring. Sea levels are rising. Population growth is exploding. Non-renewable resources are dwindling. Our planet is facing the biggest environmental crisis in known history and what’s worse, we are running out of time to turn it around.

“Climate change is intrinsically linked to public health, food and water security, migration, peace, and security. It is a moral issue. It is an issue of social justice, human rights and fundamental ethics. We have a profound responsibility to the fragile web of life on this Earth, and to this generation and those that will follow.” – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

The transport industry is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for a whopping 27% of emissions in 2015 in the US. Attempts to convert to renewable fuel sources have shown promise with solar and electric vehicles entering the market. However, levels of customer adoption have remained disappointingly low due to the high cost, poor efficiency and inconvenience of most alternative fuels. Governments have taken little action to build the supporting infrastructure necessary, leaving consumers with little choice but to resort to traditional fuel. Some that claim to be ‘green’ are not actually green at all, either – most methods of hydrogen production, for example, require fossil fuels!

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WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

A zero-emission energy source, produced with zero fossil fuels. No, this isn’t some pipe dream or wishful thinking. It’s H₂GEM.

H₂ydrogem’s revolutionary at-home refuelling station uses no harmful chemicals or pollutants, just modified e-coli and glucose. That’s it. No fossil fuels, fancy or expensive technology required. Pure hydrogen fuel produced on demand in your own garage, 24/7. As Australians make the switch to hydrogen-powered vehicles over the next two decades, H₂GEM will be there to meet the demand for convenient, sustainable hydrogen fuel. We are putting the power to change the world back into the consumers’ hands, literally.

H₂YDROGEM's MISSION

To empower everyday Australians to sustainably and affordably power their own hydrogen vehicles.

Change the world (OK, maybe this one’s a little lofty…but as the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, right?)

MARKET AND COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT VEHICLE MARKET IN AUSTRALIA

As a country of wide open spaces, car ownership is considered a basic necessity for most Australians. Car ownership has steadily increased over the past 60 years, increasing from 0.15 to 0.55 cars per person as of 2015. This increase has largely been the result of cars becoming more affordable over that same time period, aided by increased competition and improvements in technology.

In 2015, a staggering 1,155,408 new cars were sold in Australia – the most annual sales on record – with thousands more used vehicles being sold as well. The five top-selling car models on the market as of 2015 were the Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Toyota HiLux, Hyundai i30 and Ford Ranger, evidently cementing these manufacturers as trusted car brands by Australians.