JCB’S £100 million investment in a project to produce super-efficient hydrogen engines is going full steam ahead. A team of 100 engineers has been working on the exciting development for more than a year and the 50th JCB hydrogen combustion engine has now come off the production line as part of the development process.
JCB’s hydrogen-fueled backhoe loader is one of three hydrogen vehicles the OEM is developing. JCB hydrogen engines are powering prototype backhoe loaders and Loadall telescopic handlers and the company has recently unveiled its very own designed and built mobile refueling bowser to take fuel to the machines. The bowser has enough hydrogen to fill 16 hydrogen backhoe loaders and can be transported either on the back of a modified Fastrac tractor or on a trailer.
Hyster Company is testing a top-pick container handler powered by hydrogen fuel cells (HFC) at Fenix Marine Services in the Port of Los Angeles.
Based on the standard Hyster H1050-1150XD-CH top-pick container handler design, the truck is powered by two 45kw hydrogen fuel cells from Nuvera, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyster parent company Hyster-Yale Group. The HFC-powered top pick is designed to provide the zero emissions benefits of a battery electric option, with enough capacity to keep operators moving and avoid the need to stop in the middle of a shift to refuel or recharge.
The electric vehicle market in India is mostly dominated by lithium-ion battery technology, which powers two-, three- and four-wheeler vehicles. But this situation comes with its own set of challenges.
For instance, each battery chemistry has a different energy density, peak power output and charging time. Hence, the industry is working on alternative green solutions, and the government of India is aggressively working on hydrogen as a fuel option.
In terms of refueling time, hydrogen has a definitive advantage over batteries. It takes just a couple of minutes for a hydrogen vehicle to be refueled, irrespective of size, compared to the hours it takes to recharge an electric vehicle.
The union cabinet approved US$ 2.4 trillion (Rs 19,744 cr) for National Green Hydrogen Mission. The mission has four components aimed at enhancing domestic production of green hydrogen and promoting the manufacturing of electrolysers — a key constituent for making green hydrogen. The initial target is to produce 5 million tons of green hydrogen annually.
Along with the government, other industry stakeholders are taking significant steps to develop hydrogen fuel. Ashok Leyland (one of the largest CV makers) is working with Reliance industries on the development and supply chain of hydrogen-powered engines.
Ashok Leyland plans to install fuel-cell engines in an existing fleet of 45,000 trucks that RIL has hired to transport refined products and other marketing goods as a first stage in the strategy. Also, Adani (diversified business portfolio) and TotalEnergies (French energy and petroleum company) have entered into a partnership to jointly create the world’s largest green hydrogen ecosystem.
The potential of the country towards the production of hydrogen is attractive to many companies. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is looking to source green hydrogen from India as well as Australia and Latin America.
“India is an amazing location with huge potential for the production of (green) hydrogen at a very exciting cost,” says Glenn Llewellyn, VP Zero-Emission Aircraft at Airbus.
In the 16th edition of the motor show Auto Expo Toyota, MG motors, Tata motors, Hyundai, and VECV, showcased their hydrogen-powered vehicles across several segments. It’s evident that OEMs are seriously exploring the option of Hydrogen powered vehicles. PSR
Aditya Kondejkar is Research Analyst – South Asia Operationsfor Power Systems Research
Honda announced that it will produce electric fuel cell powered vehicles in the U.S. in 2024. They will also be equipped with a plug-in function that allows them to be recharged externally. Honda has set a goal that all new vehicles sold by 2040 will be either EVs or FCVs.
In North America, its main market, Honda will offer FCVs as an option. The new FCV to be produced is based on the CR-V SUV model and will be manufactured in small quantities at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. The plant had produced the Acura NSX sports car until November. Since the plant has not yet developed a sufficient hydrogen supply base, it will be a plug-in FCV that can also be recharged externally. This is said to be the first production vehicle in North America to adopt such technology.
Honda has been developing FCVs for some time, introducing the FCX in 2002 in Japan and the United States. In Japan, it launched the FCV model Clarity Fuel Cell in 2016. However, due to sluggish sales, the company discontinued production of this vehicle in Japan in 2021.
PSR Analysis: Plug-in FCVs can run on electricity, fed by plug-ins, where there are no hydrogen stations. If FCVs are to be popularized at a stage where the hydrogen filling infrastructure is weak, a plug-in that can be charged from an electrical outlet may be the best combination. After filling up at a hydrogen station, which might be located far away, the vehicle could be operated by recharging its battery, and the hydrogen could be used as a range extender in case of power shortages. Of course, if a hydrogen station were to be established in the same neighborhood, it would be possible to switch to the same operation as at a gas station. The biggest barrier to sales expansion is the price. In the price competition, FCVs will probably lose out to BEVs. The availability and scale of subsidies for FCVs will have a significant impact on sales. PSR
Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research
Ballard Power Systems has announced the sale of 25 hydrogen fuel cell engines to repeat customer Solaris Bus & Coach, a leading European bus manufacturer.
The 70kW fuel cells will be installed in Solaris’ Urbino 12 hydrogen buses for deployment to Polish public transport operator MPK Poznań and are expected to be delivered in H2 2023.
The buses are to be partially funded by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management’s Green Public Transport program. MPK Poznań requires 30% of its fleet to be zero-emission by 2028. These 25 hydrogen fuel cell buses will increase its zero-emission fleet from 18% to 25%.
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