The hydrogen is gaining momentum. This technology would in the future put the German bus companies Flixbus. The also operate in Switzerland and Coach operator wants to refuel fuel – cell distances of up to 500 kilometers of vehicles to put back-without looking it up. The Refuelling should not take longer than 20 minutes, such as Flixbus announced last week.
The hybrid vehicles combine a battery and fuel cells. “A hybrid system of battery and fuel combined cell smart, especially for heavier vehicles that travel long distances is not practical because a purely electric drives currently have a small range,” says Claus Möhlenkamp, chief of the German company Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, who is involved in the development. For the test phase, a fleet of 30 vehicles is planned. The fuel cell buses are to come, among other things, on routes such as Paris–Amiens and Frankfurt–Mannheim used.
With hydrogen-powered train
The Eastern Swiss train manufacturer Stadler Rail has, meanwhile, with the development of a hydrogen-powered train. Just recently, Stadler Rail has received an order from the California San Bernardino County Transportation Authority on the job. The new train will provide space for 108 passengers, and from 2024 in operation. It is not the first time such a contract for Stadler Rail. In the last year, the manufacturer of the Tyrolean Zillertal railway was awarded the contract for the construction of five multiple unit trains with hydrogen fuel cells. A first train is to commence in the next year trial operation.
the fuel cell is the solution of all transport and climate problems? The German car expert Ferdinand Dudenhöffer from the Duisburg-Essen University has a great deal of concerns. As a reason he’s called the “modest” energy balance of the water substance. This is obtained by splitting water (H2O) into oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H2). The process is called electrolysis and uses a lot of energy. The hydrogen is then turned in the vehicle in a fuel cell, back into electricity to drive the electric motor. At the end of the transformation processes to be used by the original energy of the “less than 25 percent,” to drive the vehicle, according to dudenhöffer.
cruise ship with fuel cell
Nevertheless, scientists and companies are conducting research in many places of the new technology. In North Germany, a train manufacturer Alstom between Buxtehude and Cuxhaven, without Diesel and without the current overhead contact line oscillates for 2018. It is the world’s first passenger hydrogen-powered. The shipping company Aida Cruises will leave in 2021, the Aidanova leak, the first cruise ship with a fuel cell. Sponsored these Tests from the public and the Private, the hope, all on an emission-free technology. If and when their hopes are for it to rise, is still open. The opinions of the experts differ, also, in the automotive industry, there are hydrogen, fans and opponents.
Who is right? This is the earliest in ten years. Volkswagen group boss Herbert Diess fuel cell engines for cars referred to as “nonsense”. Because the hydrogen production is too expensive and the drive is too much space need. This aligns the VW on the battery technology: Until 2024, the group invested 33 billion euros, in order to make Volkswagen the pure battery car manufacturer.
In his Garage is hydrogen
rival Daimler relies not only on E but also on the H2-mobility produce. A pre-production model called the Mercedes GLC F-Cell is already on the road. In addition, Daimler is involved in the Joint Venture company, H2 Mobility, a nationwide hydrogen filling station network is striving for. Are involved Air Liquide, Linde, and, remarkably enough, the oil companies OMV, Shell and Total. Your goal: by 2023 there should be in Germany, “up to 400” H2-filling stations. Currently, there are only 80. For the critics that are far too few to make hydrogen cars a breakthrough.
Of solutions to this Problem, researchers at the EPFL are working on. They have developed a System that, even in the own Garage of hydrogen are produced and tanked could be. A first prototype is under construction and should then be extensively tested. The ETH-Zurich researchers want to develop a more energy-efficient variant of the storage. Standard fuel cell cars is to buy it already: the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo.
Toyota will tenfold by 2020, the production times, Hyundai has announced a similar Offensive. The German manufacturer Streetscooter, a subsidiary of Deutsche Post, plans to produce in 2020, a box car for the sister company, DHL Express. BMW has presented in September at the Frankfurt motor show, the concept vehicle iHydrogen Next.
BMW is very cautious regarding the sales start: “start at the Earliest in 2025” will be delivered a small series, with shares of the group. And even this only “depending on market requirements and conditions”. One of these conditions is likely to be a sufficient network of filling stations. “I am sceptical as to whether the technology for cars mass will be ready,” says auto analyst Gerhard Wolf of the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg. The H2 models from Toyota and Hyundai are “still expensive”, the worth “neither for buyers nor for the manufacturer”. But Wolf also says: “The Asians have a long breath.” Ferdinand Dudenhöffer excludes a commercial success of hydrogen-powered passenger car for the next 30 years: “nothing is.”
After all, he sees “in the case of commercial vehicles and buses a Chance”, because forwarding agents and transport companies fixed the tank tracks can be controlled on a Routine make. And because the fuel cell is the battery to consider that the heavier the vehicle is. The automotive supplier Bosch believes in the future of the technology: He recently acquired 11 percent of the Swedish manufacturer power cell, with the car fuel cells for trucks and cars has been developed.
staff: Rita Flubacher
Created: 25.11.2019, 18:05 PM
