{"id":3107,"date":"2020-09-02T09:05:48","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T09:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=3107"},"modified":"2020-09-02T09:30:49","modified_gmt":"2020-09-02T09:30:49","slug":"bosch-the-mobility-of-the-future-needs-fuel-cells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=3107","title":{"rendered":"Bosch: the mobility of the future needs fuel cells"},"content":{"rendered":"

Climate-neutral powertrain for the long haul<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is information supplied by Bosch, and as always it includes some really useful information. My personal view is that hydrogen is the future for heavy vehicles but not necesarily for cars – see what you think.<\/p>\n

Tom<\/p>\n

===<\/p>\n

Electromobility is picking up more and more speed. It is an important element in reducing CO2<\/sub> emissions from traffic. But how economical is it to operate heavy-duty trucks with 40-ton payloads over long distances using only battery-electric power? Given the battery weight, long charging times, and limited range of today\u2019s technology, electric powertrains aren\u2019t the first choice for heavy trucks. Nevertheless, even 40-ton trucks will be able to travel more than a thousand kilometres in all-electric mode in the near future. The key to this is the Bosch fuel-cell powertrain. When powered with hydrogen produced using renewable energy, this powertrain enables the climate-neutral transportation of goods and commodities. Bosch is taking the first step in this direction by developing the fuel-cell powertrain primarily with a focus on trucks, and the company plans to start production in 2022\u20132023. Once they have become established in trucks, Bosch fuel-cell powertrains will then increasingly find their way into passenger cars \u2013 rightly making them an integral part of tomorrow\u2019s powertrain portfolio.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Seven reasons why fuel cells and hydrogen are crucial building blocks of tomorrow\u2019s mobility:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Climate neutrality <\/strong><\/p>\n

In a fuel cell, hydrogen (H2<\/sub>) reacts with oxygen (O2<\/sub>) from the ambient air. The energy this reaction releases is converted into electricity, which is used for driving. Heat and pure water (H2<\/sub>O) are other products of the reaction. H2<\/sub> is obtained using electrolysis, in which water is separated into hydrogen and oxygen with the aid of electricity. Generating this electricity from renewables makes the fuel-cell powertrain completely climate-neutral. Especially for large, heavy vehicles, fuel cells have a better carbon footprint than exclusively battery-electric powertrains if the CO2<\/sub> emissions for production, operation, and disposal are added together. All that fuel-cell vehicles need in addition to their hydrogen tank is a much smaller battery for intermediate buffer storage. This greatly reduces their carbon footprint in production. \u201cThe advantages of the fuel cell really come into play in those areas where battery-electric powertrains don\u2019t shine,\u201d explains Dr. Uwe Gackstatter, president of the Bosch Powertrain Solutions division. \u201cThis means there\u2019s no competition between fuel cells and batteries; instead, they complement each other perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Power plant using renewable solar energy with sun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2) Potential applications <\/strong><\/p>\n

Hydrogen has a high energy density. One kilogram of hydrogen contains as much energy as 3.3 litres of diesel. To travel 100 kilometres, a passenger car needs only about one kilogram; a 40-ton truck needs a good seven kilograms. As with diesel or gasoline, it takes just a few minutes to fill an empty H 2<\/sub> tank and continue the journey. \u201cFuel cells are the first choice for transporting larger loads for many kilometres every day,\u201d Gackstatter says, summarizing the advantages. In the EU-funded H2Haul<\/a> project, Bosch is currently working with other companies to build a small fleet of fuel-cell trucks and put them on the road. In addition to mobile applications, Bosch is developing fuel-cell stacks for stationary applications with solid-oxide fuel-cell (SOFC) technology. One intended use for them is as small, distributed power stations in cities, data canters, and charge points for electric vehicles. If the Paris climate action targets are to be met, in the future hydrogen will need to power not only cars and commercial vehicles, but also trains, aircraft, and ships. The energy and steel industries are also planning to make use of hydrogen.<\/p>\n

3) Efficiency <\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the decisive factors for a powertrain\u2019s eco-friendliness and profitability is its efficiency. This is around a quarter higher for fuel-cell vehicles than for vehicles with combustion engines. Employing recuperative braking further increases efficiency. Battery-electric vehicles, which can store electricity directly in the vehicle and use it for propulsion, are even more effective. However, since energy production and energy demand do not always coincide in time and location, electricity from wind and solar plants often remains unused because it cannot find a consumer and cannot be stored. This is where hydrogen comes into its own. The surplus electricity can be used to produce it in a decentralized way, ready for flexible storage and transportation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

4) Costs <\/strong><\/p>\n

The cost of green hydrogen will come down considerably when production capacities are expanded, and the price of electricity generated from renewables declines. The Hydrogen Council, an association of over 90 international companies, expects costs for many hydrogen applications to fall by half in the next ten years \u2013 making them competitive with other technologies. Bosch is currently working with the startup Powercell to develop the stack, the core of the fuel cell, and make it market-ready, with manufacturing to follow. The goal is a high-performance solution that can be manufactured at low cost. \u201cIn the medium term, using a vehicle with a fuel cell won\u2019t be more expensive than using one with a conventional powertrain,\u201d Gackstatter says.<\/p>\n

5) Infrastructure <\/strong><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s network of hydrogen filling stations doesn\u2019t offer complete coverage, but the roughly 180 hydrogen filling stations in Europe are already sufficient for some important transport routes. Companies in many countries are cooperating to push ahead with the expansion, often supported by state subsidies. In Germany, too, politicians have recognized the important role of hydrogen in decarbonizing the economy and have anchored it in the National Hydrogen Strategy. For example, the H 2<\/sub> Mobility joint venture will have built around 100 publicly accessible filling stations in Germany by the end of 2020, while the EU-funded H2Haul<\/a> project is working not only on trucks but also on the filling stations required on its planned routes. Japan, China, and South Korea also have comprehensive support programs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

6) Safety<\/strong><\/p>\n

The use of gaseous hydrogen in vehicles is safe and no more hazardous than other automotive fuels or batteries. Hydrogen tanks do not pose an increased risk of explosion. It is true that H 2<\/sub> burns in combination with oxygen and that a mixture of the two beyond a certain ratio is explosive. But hydrogen is about 14 times lighter than air and therefore extremely volatile. For example, any H 2<\/sub> that escapes from a vehicle tank will rise faster than it can react with the ambient oxygen. In a fire test conducted on a fuel-cell car by U.S. researchers in 2003, there was a flash fire, but it quickly went out again. The vehicle remained largely undamaged.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

7) Timing <\/strong><\/p>\n

Hydrogen production is a proven and technologically straightforward process. This means it can be ramped up quickly to meet higher demand. In addition, fuel cells have now reached the necessary technological maturity for their commercialization and widespread use. According to the Hydrogen Council, the hydrogen economy can become competitive in the next ten years, provided there is sufficient investment and political will. \u201cThe time for entry into the hydrogen economy is now,\u201d Gackstatter says.<\/p>\n

(Source: Bosch Media)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Climate-neutral powertrain for the long haul This is information supplied by Bosch, and as always it includes some really useful information. My personal view is that hydrogen is the future for heavy vehicles but not necesarily for cars – see what you think. Tom === Electromobility is picking up more and more speed. It is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[39,15,35,47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alternative-fuel","category-automotive","category-concepts","category-hydrogen"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p79TdE-O7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2519,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=2519","url_meta":{"origin":3107,"position":0},"title":"Super truck will turn roads into data highways: Bosch VisionX","author":"Tom Denton","date":"September 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Bosch VisionX VisionX concept study provides a glimpse into the future of truck driving Automated driving in platoons will take the strain off drivers, improve economic efficiency, and make driving safer Hybridization and connectivity help improve the overall cost picture Stuttgart\/Hannover \u2013 At the 66th IAA Commercial Vehicles trade fair,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Automated driving"","block_context":{"text":"Automated driving","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?cat=38"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3010,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=3010","url_meta":{"origin":3107,"position":1},"title":"In motion: solutions for the mobility of today and tomorrow","author":"Tom Denton","date":"February 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Powerful computing for the electronics architecture of the future \u2013 vehicle computers: Increasing electrification, automation, and connectivity are placing ever higher demands on vehicles\u2019 electronics architecture. 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The currently low oil price will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EV and Hybrid"","block_context":{"text":"EV and Hybrid","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?cat=26"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":258,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=258","url_meta":{"origin":3107,"position":3},"title":"Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne Parallel full hybrid technology from Bosch","author":"Tom Denton","date":"June 15, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne Parallel full hybrid technology from Bosch goes into series production \u00b7 Launch of first full hybrid vehicles with parallel technology \u00b7 Intelligent drive control system provides key to extraordinary comfort \u00b7 Bosch-made power electronics, electric motor, and adaptive clutch The hybrid variants of the Volkswagen\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Automotive"","block_context":{"text":"Automotive","link":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1784,"url":"http:\/\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/?p=1784","url_meta":{"origin":3107,"position":4},"title":"Bosch brings the internet into the car","author":"Tom Denton","date":"March 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Twenty years ago, the internet revolutionized computing. 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