Page 21 - Gi flipbook - November 2018

has so far discouraged most players
from betting on such a price-sensitive
technology. As an example, about 0.11
grams of platinum group metals
(PGM) are needed per kilowatt of
power supplied by the fuel cell system.
The new Toyota Mirai has a peak
power upwards of 110kW, which means
that more than 12g of precious metals
are needed to run the car. While the
price per kilo of platinum alone may
not make this technology cost-
prohibitive, it is the functionalisation
process which leads to significant
spikes in the final price.
For these reasons, initial excitement
around fuel cell vehicles has given
way to battery-powered ones, which
are affected by low range and slow
charging times but are easier to
implement on a large scale.
Fuel cells are commercially
successful in stationary applications,
but commercially unsuccessful in
vehicles, beyond a few thousand
purchased for material handling
vehicles, notably forklifts.
A few thousand were sold as cars
by the end of 2017, mostly to
institutions on a non-commercial basis.
Fuel cell buses and cars are still
outsold by a factor of about one
hundred by battery electric buses and
cars. Fuel cells in off road vehicles,
marine and aircraft applications have
performed quite well, but are not yet
adopted in volume.
Nevertheless, in recent years a
renewed interest in this technology
has prompted many companies to
develop and market new fuel cell
In recent years a renewed interest in electric vehicles (FCEV), in the hope
this technology has prompted many that this time hydrogen fuel can really
ignite a spark in the industry.
companies to develop and market Toyota and Hyundai, for instance, are

new fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) now selling their H -powered
2
passenger cars, and Japan plans to use
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a huge
showroom for the country’s know-how
in the hydrogen economy, with 35
hydrogen refuelling stations scheduled
to open before the start of the games.
By Dr Lorenzo The fact that it can be produced At the same time, European firms
Grande, Senior from water electrolysis has also made like Alstom believe that dirty diesel
Technology Analyst it an appealing choice for proponents trains can be replaced by cleaner
at IDTechEx of clean energy solutions. H -powered ones, as hydrogen is a
2
The truth is, however, that H from
more cost-effective solution to the
H O electrolysis is still cost- 2 expensive conventional rail
2
ydrogen has long been prohibitive, and most of the hydrogen infrastructure. A few trains are already
touted as the energy produced industrially comes from gas in operation in the rural part of
carrier of the future, as it reforming and as a by-product of northern Germany, and if proven
allows for energy to be other industrial processes. successful, fuel cell trains will soon
H stored chemically and Furthermore, the need for precious capture more market share at the
released when and where needed. catalysts to run the chemical reaction expense of diesel ones.

21

HydrogenPoweredVehicles.indd 2 18/10/2018 13:28