Daimler and Volvo are joining forces to develop fuel cells for heavy-duty vehicles

[Polycount]

Clean transportation: Electric cars seem to be the world's primary method of achieving an emissions-free future, but not every car company is necessarily convinced they are the only path forward. Indeed, carmakers Daimler and Volvo are teaming up to prove that hydrogen-based fuel cells are just as viable as a means of powering clean vehicles.

The companies have formed a new joint venture that will focus on large-scale fuel cell production, primarily for heavy-duty trucks. The first milestone they hope to reach is developing a "twin system" fuel cell that can provide 300 kW of "continuous power" to heavy-duty, long-haul trucks.

Aside from powering heavy trucks, Daimler and Volvo hope to use their fuel cells for other purposes, such as "stationary power generation." We also assume the companies will eventually bring their fuel cell technology to mass-market vehicles, but that could still be several years away.

To be clear, neither Daimler nor Volvo are looking to replace EVs here. On the contrary -- the companies believe battery-powered vehicles will play an equally important role in the future. However, they don't want those cars to be the sole focus of the world's ambitions.

"In the future, the world will be powered by a combination of battery-electric and fuel-cell electric vehicles, along with other renewable fuels to some extent," said Volvo CEO Martin Lundstedt in a statement. "The formation of our fuel-cell joint venture is an important step in shaping a world we want to live in."

Daimler and Volvo hope that their experience in carmaking, combined with the former's "several decades" of development work on fuel cells, will enable them to become major players in the fuel cell industry.

This joint venture agreement is expected to finalize during the first half of 2021, pending regulatory approval.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/87406-daimler-volvo-joining-forces-develop-fuel-cells-heavy.html

 

[dragosmp]

"A clean alternative to electricity"

This title is a mistake and is not supported by the rest of a pretty good article. Hydrogen-powered vehicles are still electric, the energy comes from the hydrogen fuel cell, goes through a battery / inverter and to a motor. Same as a Tesla, except the energy comes from hydrogen, not Li-Ion.

See lower in the article "...powered by a combination of battery-electric and fuel-cell electric vehicles..."

 

[EClyde]

Guess it ain't working out for either of them

 

[seeprime]

I was involved with a supplier for GM that developed the coating system to apply fluorelastomer on the thin fuel cell sheets, so the fuel would travel through the assembled cell and function as intended. It was fascinating. I thought at the time that their optimism that fuel cells would "take over" and "be huge" was simply that, optimistic. Here we are twenty years later and fuel cell vehicles still have the problem of refueling. No one wants to pay to build a widespread hydrogen fuel infrastructure. It's a chicken and egg situation. The tech is fantastic. Until drivers can pull into a hydrogen fuel station, and be able to pass others along the way before needing to refuel, it's going to stay "ten years out" for a very long time.

 

[Uncle Al]

I was involved with a supplier for GM that developed the coating system to apply fluorelastomer on the thin fuel cell sheets, so the fuel would travel through the assembled cell and function as intended. It was fascinating. I thought at the time that their optimism that fuel cells would "take over" and "be huge" was simply that, optimistic. Here we are twenty years later and fuel cell vehicles still have the problem of refueling. No one wants to pay to build a widespread hydrogen fuel infrastructure. It's a chicken and egg situation. The tech is fantastic. Until drivers can pull into a hydrogen fuel station, and be able to pass others along the way before needing to refuel, it's going to stay "ten years out" for a very long time.

Not to mention that lobbyist for the big oil companies aren't about to let this go without one heck of a fight. With so much oil money flowing into Congress & the Senate, getting meaningful legislation to push for anything other than fossil fuel is a very steep uphill battle ......

 

[bviktor]

About friggin' time.

 

[Endymio]

With so much oil money flowing into Congress & the Senate, getting meaningful legislation to push for anything other than fossil fuel is a very steep uphill battle ......

As attractive as a conspiracy theory is to a certain mindset, the real reason is that there really is no practical alternative yet to oil and natural gas. Congress isn't refusing to ban fossil fuels because of lobbyist donations, but because those in Congress know that the passage of any such measure would mean their instant ejection from office by an outraged public. Why do you think Joe Biden backed off his proposed fracking ban so fast? He has an election to win.

 

[Uncle Al]

As attractive as a conspiracy theory is to a certain mindset, the real reason is that there really is no practical alternative yet to oil and natural gas. Congress isn't refusing to ban fossil fuels because of lobbyist donations, but because those in Congress know that the passage of any such measure would mean their instant ejection from office by an outraged public. Why do you think Joe Biden backed off his proposed fracking ban so fast? He has an election to win.

Unfortunately for you the "theory" of an alternative has already been proven and is being implemented throughout Europe. No conspiracy theory there and once it's complete the only customers Russia will have for their oil are their satellite countries, some of which are already looking seriously at alternative energy sources. If it were as you said, why would all the big auto makers both in the US and around the world be so rapidly developing and selling electrical vehicles?

 

[Endymio]

Unfortunately for you the "theory" of an alternative has already been proven and is being implemented throughout Europe. [Soon] the only customers Russia will have for their oil are their satellite countries.

Really? Germany I believe is first in Europe in wind and solar generation ... but as they've increased their share of those sources, they've also had to increase their natural gas usage as well, to address the variability in those sources. Germany in 2014 used 73B cubic meters of natural gas -- by last year that had increased to 89B cubic meters, and at present Germany is rapidly attempting to complete the Nord Stream gas pipeline to Russia, so they can purchase even more.

That strategy has also taken Germany from the lowest energy costs in Europe to one of the highest. Electric rates there now are over three times what most in the US pay. Not a terribly successful move on their part.