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Hydrogen gasoline cell skeptics have been heating up the Intertubes, however the cash simply retains flowing into new gasoline cell ventures. Within the newest signal of respect for the know-how, the Turkish firm Ford Otosan has launched into a sequence of offers aimed toward bringing its new F-Max heavy responsibility gasoline cell truck to the European market.
The information follows scorching on the heels that GM’s Hydrotec gasoline cell division has entered the marketplace for electrical cement vans and different heavy responsibility purposes, so maintain on to your hats.
The Ford F-Max Hydrogen Gas Cell Truck Venture
GM‘s latest actions within the hydrogen gasoline cell space have crossed the CleanTechnica radar plenty of occasions, together with the corporate’s assist for brand new inexperienced hydrogen know-how.
The gasoline cell journey of The Ford Motor Firm has garnered considerably much less consideration. A fast search its investor web site yields little (as in, zero) hits beneath the important thing phrase “gasoline cells.” Its industrial web site autocorrects to seek for “gasoline wells,” which isn’t significantly useful.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply nothing is occurring. Earlier this yr, Ford let slip that its new E-Transit battery-powered electrical supply van — which is assembled in Turkey — will present the platform for exploring using gasoline cells in supply fleets beneath a three-year trial interval within the UK. The trial will deal with fleets which have restricted entry to battery charging infrastructure, with the concept that gasoline cell vans can substitute each diesel gasoline and battery energy.
“Check fleet knowledge will present insights into the whole value of proudly owning and working a big van, with elevated vary and working hours to match its diesel-powered equal and with out the necessity to cost,” Ford defined in a press launch dated Might 9.
From Supply Vans To The F-Max Hydrogen Gas Cell Vans
Ford additionally has a hand within the hydrogen gasoline cell automobile enterprise by way of Ford Otosan, a publicly traded agency during which The Ford Motor Firm holds an equal 41% share with the Turkish holding firm Koç Holding.
Ford Otosan actually has not been letting the gasoline cell grass develop beneath its ft. The E-Transit supply van mission has barely gotten beneath manner and the corporate is already scaling as much as the heavy responsibility gasoline cell truck stage.
On August 3, the legacy engineering agency Ballard Energy Techniques introduced that it has partnered with the Ford Vans division of Ford Otosan to produce a gasoline cell system for the brand new F-Max prototype hydrogen gasoline cell truck. The partnership contains an preliminary buy order for 2 of Ballard’s “FCmove™-XD” 120-kilowatt gasoline cell engines.
If all goes in response to plan, the brand new truck will take its place alongside present diesel autos in Otosan’s F-line, as a 44-ton lengthy haul heavy-duty truck.
The brand new truck may even characteristic within the EU’s plans for decarbonizing its freight hauling business.
“Ford Vans plans to construct and assemble the gasoline cell-powered F-MAX in Turkey and goals to start European Ten-T hall demonstrations in 2025 as a part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe ZEFES (Zero Emission Freight EcoSystem) mission targets,” Ballard stated.
As defined by Ballard, the ZEFES mission will assess 4 gasoline cell and 5 battery-powered electrical vans for freight hauling in actual life circumstances totaling greater than 1 million kilometers. All autos are anticipated to realize a spread of as much as 750 kilometers whereas hauling payloads of greater than 40 metric tonnes.
Two Extra Steps In direction of The Gas Cell Truck Of The Future
On November 2, the German e-mobility agency Quantron AG stirred the gasoline cell pot once more, when it introduced that it has signed a letter of intent with Ford Vans to assist get the F-Max gasoline cell mission up and operating to the market.
“Inside this strategic cooperation, the Quantron Inside know-how efficient vary, revolutionary e-axle, custom-made high-power battery, gasoline cell and tank integration, unparalleled energy-management and optimized Aerodynamics for maximized effectivity will likely be evaluated for integration into Ford Vans’ autos, thus enabling emission-free transport options,” Quantron added.
Quantron is healthier recognized for its experience within the battery-electric truck subject, however the firm expects to use its data base to gasoline cell electrical mobility.
In one other new improvement, on December 7 the Norwegian agency Hexagon Purus introduced that Ford Vans has engaged it to ship a hydrogen gasoline storage system for the F-Max gasoline cell truck, in assist of the ZEFES mission.
“We’re utilizing our in-depth data of light-weight, dependable and protected hydrogen storage know-how to assist Ford Vans pave the way in which for fuel-cell electrical long-haul heavy-duty trucking in Europe,” enthused Hexagon EVP Michael Kleschinski.
The Inexperienced Hydrogen Angle
After all, no story a few hydrogen gasoline cell truck is full with out a point out of inexperienced hydrogen.
Till lately, gasoline cell stakeholders have relied on a hydrogen gasoline provide chain dominated by pure fuel and different fossil sources. The emergence of low-cost renewable vitality has modified the sport, by offering a cheap pathway for producing hydrogen from plain water (see extra CleanTechnica inexperienced hydrogen protection right here).
Fossil vitality nonetheless dominates the hydrogen provide chain, however Hexagon is among the many many hydrogen stakeholders advocating for a transition to inexperienced hydrogen.
“The primary limitations at this time are the restricted availability of inexperienced hydrogen and an inadequate fuelling station community,” Hexagon CEO Morten Holum instructed the commerce group Hydrogen Council final spring. “So we have to work in live performance as an business to speed up the manufacturing of inexperienced hydrogen and the provision of that hydrogen on the pump.”
Gas Cell Vans For The USA
The EU nonetheless appears intent on together with gasoline cell vans in its decarbonization technique, and exercise continues to stir over right here within the US, too.
Quantron lately introduced plans to provide gasoline cell vans for the US market. The on-again, off-again saga of the US startup Nikola additionally took a flip for the higher in September, when the corporate introduced the official launch of its first industrial gasoline cell electrical truck (see tons extra Nikola protection right here).
Then there’s GM. The corporate has a long run relationship with gasoline cell know-how, the newest instance being a brand new collaboration with the agency Autocar to provide gasoline cell cement vans and different autos that fall into the “vocational” class.
“Hydrogen gasoline cells are a key part of GM’s electrification technique which extends past battery-powered passenger autos,” GE explains.
The corporate lists mild weight, bigger payloads, lengthy vary, and speedy refueling as benefits in comparison with battery-powered vans, over and above the carbon footprint financial savings in comparison with diesel vans.
When you have any ideas about that, drop us a word within the remark thread.
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Picture: F-MAX zero emission gasoline cell truck to be manufactured by the Turkish agency Ford Otosan.
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