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The automotive industry has been investigating hydrogen and fuel cell drives for electric cars since the 1980s. But even forty years later, we are still waiting for the first mass-produced fuel cell car that can compete with combustion vehicles in terms of price and does not require any restrictions in everyday life. With 17 hydrogen filling stations, the network in Switzerland is still crude, and abroad it is even more porous.
And there’s still no perfect solution for expensive car tanks for liquid hydrogen. They still have a cylindrical shape and require a lot of space. The industry is currently investigating hydrogen storage devices made of composite materials, which can be optimally placed in any vehicle thanks to their different shapes. Hydrogen tanks similar in shape and size to today’s flat batteries in modern electric cars could soon be installed, with Mercedes preparing for such a concept thanks to its first A-Class dual base. According to experts, the costs of such tanks are expected to decrease by half by 2030.
However, it is unlikely that hydrogen production will be developed so elegantly. The cost of green hydrogen has increased by 30 to 65 percent in the last few years alone. Even in the long term, it seems doubtful that the majority of the hydrogen required could actually be produced in a CO₂-neutral way and thus have a truly positive impact on the climate. According to estimates by the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), two-thirds of hydrogen and its derivatives for end users are expected to be produced sustainably by 2050. The third comes from mixed, so-called blue hydrogen. And finally, when used in automobiles from production to conversion to electricity in the fuel cell, its efficiency is only 25 to 35 percent. However, this rate is three times higher in battery electric cars.
However, hydrogen remains present. A Hydrogen Council was established at the WEF in Davos GR in January 2017 to help limit global warming to two degrees Celsius by 2050. Founding members included automakers Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Hyundai and Honda. Our inventory of hydrogen in cars shows that they didn’t just promise hot weather back then.
mercedes
Mercedes has been working on fuel cell technology since 1984. The first prototype Necar I, a small minivan with propulsion in the cargo area, was presented ten years later. This was followed by the A-Series Fuel Cell in 2003 and the B-Series in 2010. The latest venture was the GLC, the world’s first plug-in fuel cell hybrid vehicle. The propulsion system was 30 percent smaller, a quarter lighter, fit in the normal engine compartment, produced 40 percent more electricity, had a range of almost 500 kilometers, could be refueled in three minutes, and the model was discontinued after only 3,000 units were built. Mercedes now uses fuel cells only for trucks.
bmw
Production of the BMW X5 test fleet began in summer 2022, following prototypes with fuel cell technology from collaboration partner Toyota. The heart of the fuel cell system is located in the engine compartment. The iX5 Hydrogen is about the size of a three-cylinder gasoline engine and weighs 180 kilograms. Two tubular carbon fiber tanks, located under the rear seat and in the center tunnel, hold six kilograms of hydrogen and provide a range of up to 600 kilometers. “From our point of view, the fuel cell is an important pillar of the propulsion portfolio,” says BMW CEO Oliver Zipse.
toyota
Hydrogen pioneer Toyota started its program in 1992 but only introduced its small-series Mirai sedan in 2015. In 2020, the second generation drive was introduced in the Mirai II, and recently the prototype of the Hilux Fcell pick-up was presented. «Mirai II is not emission-free, but it actually emits negative emissions. “Because thanks to the powerful air filter, the air remaining at the back of the car is cleaner than the air entering through the front radiator grille,” explains project manager Ryotaro Shimizu. Toyota’s technology is also used in other areas such as trucks, buses, ships and trains.
hyundai
South Koreans have also been working on fuel cells for a long time. The first prototype was the Santa Fe FCEV at the beginning of this century. Production of the fuel cell SUV ix35 started in small series in 2013 and was replaced by the Nexo five years later. Today, the Nexo is the best-selling fuel cell car (about 37,000 units), followed by the Toyota Mirai (25,000 units). In 2020, the Xcient Fuel Cell became the first mass-produced fuel cell truck. Development of third-generation fuel cells for the successor to Nexo, as well as for use in buses, trucks and ships, is currently being completed. Hyundai wants to electrify its entire commercial vehicle range with battery or hydrogen propulsion by 2028.
honda
Honda has been experimenting with hydrogen in automobiles for thirty years. The compact FCX in 2002 was followed by the FCX Clarity in 2008 and the Clarity in 2016. Honda is now starting to sell the fuel cell version of the Honda CR-V in America and Japan. At the Tokyo Auto Show 2023, the Giga Fuel Cell Truck was introduced as a joint project of Honda and Isuzu. It is planned to hit the streets in 2027. At the same time, Honda wants to produce 2,000 new hydrogen cars worldwide every year. In addition, the fuel cell car developed jointly with GM for America and Japan is planned to be presented in 2024.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
