Volkswagen is developing a hydrogen car with a 1,250-mile range
November 9, 2022The automaker is working on creating a fuel cell far cheaper to own than current forms of H2 vehicle.
Volkswagen is developing a new fuel cell hydrogen car that is intended to be substantially cheaper than the currently available H2 vehicles. They are aiming to roll out a model that will have a range of 2,000 kilometers per full tank.
This represents a few meaningful changes, including that VW is interested in an
H2 vehicle.
Until recently, Volkswagen has openly stated its preference for battery electric vehicles instead of focusing on a hydrogen car model among its zero emission offerings. In fact, the automaker’s CEO Herbert Diess has publicly denied (via tweet) the potential of using H2 as a fuel for passenger vehicles as recently as May 2022.
“It has been shown that the Hydrogen car is not the solution to climate problem,” said Diess at that time in his tweet. “In transport, electrification has taken over. Fake debates are a waste of time. Please listen to the science.”
That said, Volkswagen has now applied for a new fuel cell vehicle patent, which it will be developing along with the Kraftwerk Tubes company from Germany. This shows that Volkswagen does not intend to be left behind in the rapidly evolving and growing H2 fuel and technology market.
The VW hydrogen car will be using different materials for its fuel cell membranes than are traditionally used.
Kraftwerk CEO Sascha Kühn pointed out that the primary difference between the traditionally used fuel cells in H2-powered vehicles are plastic, but their team is working with a ceramic membrane instead.
“The big advantage of our solution is that it can be produced much cheaper than polymer fuel cells and it does not require any type of platinum,” said Kühn. As platinum is a rare metal, using it drives up the cost of a traditional fuel cell. Avoiding the use of precious metals means that the cost of a fuel cell can be kept much lower.
Kühn compared the hydrogen car technology to solid-state batteries. Both the fuel cell being developed and a solid-state battery have a similar material structure and the same electrolytes. The primary difference between them is that compact material is used by a solid-state battery for energy storage, whereas H2 gas assumes that role in a fuel cell.
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Hydrogen is definitely the future for cars and locomotives. I will not buy a new car until hydrogen is available. I am near the end of my PhD thesis related to Htdrogen Fuel cells to power electric locomotives.
Absolutely! All the fake hype about EVs with their massive batteries fails to disclose that their life-term carbon footprint is larger than my old ICE car. H2 is the future and the future is now.
No it can’t. Hydrogen is an absolute nightmare to store and handle! The H2 molecule is so small which results in values and fittings leaking.
I agree. Hydrogen can so easily replace petrol. The basic ingrediants are abundant and exhaustless. The production of hydrogen is being pursued on a global scale like never before. One day it will not only be readily available but will also be very economical.
The tech isnt here for h2 yet so hold your money
As the technology has been around for decades, I stand shoulder to shoulder with you. It may take the ‘staid’ rail industry to realize that they had LNG under control and didn’t use “that”!
A H2 car drives 20 km on 1 kg H2
An Elektric drives 18 km on 1 KW
H2 will not be cheaper than € 3 per kg
1 KW will costs around € 0,50
Easy to calculate that H2 will be expensive against Elektric.
Beside in 2023 will be green batteries produceren which are 50% cheaper than Lithium batteries.
I believe in H2 but maybe to replace gas needed machinery.
H2 Forgot to mention it fills up quicker and has much longer range and we will never run out
New Hydrogen and UCLA have been developing alternatives to iridium and platinum and a working prototype electrolyzer is in the offing.
Well done Volkswagen! The first car driven was a Volkswagen Beetle. I used it to deliver newspapers at Fort Jackson, SC when I was in high school. Very proud to drive a Volkswagen Beetle. My family owned two. Great to see German engineering is making endless energy possible and will make hydrogen the main fuel used worldwide in the transportation industries. Impressive mileage during a period that requires the best engineering possible as our world faces limited supplies of oil and natural gas.
Energy for the world
Hydrogen is really a no brainer. It’s use goes way beyond heavy equipment and vehicles. It will replace natural gas,, diesel fuel, gasoline, many electric vehicles in all their rolls. JUST WATCH HYDROGEN IS THE FUTURE and Electric is its ugly cousin.
Hydrogen fuel cell does have a future but so do BEVs… latter make more sense in lighter vehicles, also where space is at a premium. Fuel Cell EVs still use batteries, and need hydrogen storage. The extra storage requires additional space. This is less of an issue in a semi than it is in a family sedan.
What a reversal of official strategy in just a few months!
By cons Volkswagen is always in excess, and 2000km of range is ridiculous for a particular vehicle (mass, size and price of the vehicle). A com effect;-)
The excess will be determined on how effective the ceramic membrane is converting hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. This ceramic membrane, possibly comprised of iron, nickel, nitrogen and layered in graphene, could be efficient enough to produce this kind of mileage in a smaller car like a Volkswagen Beetle. More importantly resist oxidation similar to those using platinum. The Volkswagen Beetle which was very successful and fun to drive. Volkswagen knows the answer to mileage and is moving forward with the rest of the EU to change their transportation infrastructure to support hydrogen.
Lithium and platinum offer only a short-term solution for EVs used worldwide. Cost and availability are quickly become a problem for EVs mass produced.
I think it would be a great provided that anyone would be able to afford the cars
Put refueling stations in dealerships like Costco does at it’s stores. It will be incentive to purchase car. Also dealerships are staggered throughout States to create its own hydrogen highway
I would love too purchase a all electric Toyota suv all electric, however dealerships selling the vehicles above MSRP $5,000 dollars more.
I feel the greediness from Toyota dealerships should be happy to have loyal customers but instead we are getting ripped off.
I’m driving a 2021 Lexus and I will keep my vehicle.
At what costs? If it is costlier than EV forget it. If it costs between 35k to 50k max, then it would shake the earth.
A realistic affordable energy solution is not wind and solar and batteries. It is nuclear and hydrogen.
Съхраняването на Н2 в резервоар обезопасено е многократно по-скъпо от съхраняването на метан СН4. Да се разработва автомобил със двигател за Н2 гориво е предложението на дявола…
Traduction : Stocké sur H2 dans le réservoir, il est plusieurs fois sûr de le stocker sur le sol. Oui, tout le développement d’une voiture avec un moteur pour H2 est une proposition forte, alors pour le diable
Wow good job vw
Good news, go VW!
Hopefully there will be needed breakthroughs forthcoming that will provide economical green hydrogen from water, needed for fueling.
Also important, the need for breakthroughs that will open the transition for commercial aircraft from avgas to hydrogen. The billions of tons of CO2 and other toxic contaminants emitted are staggering. Ground based Co2 emissions are reduced at lower elevations by rain and offset by other natural processes. Emissions released at higher altatudes have a far more damaging green house effect.
If technology soon provides for small scale hydrogen production as expected, the path forward should be achievable by the private sector in relatively short order thanks to recent legislation and thus reducing the need for further government programs to move forward to develope ground transportation needs to get the vehicles rolling.
However, it will be far more challenging for commercial aviation to realize such a transition. This will require a massive well planned and funded, designed and organized effort, requiring global teamwork and private sector expertise.
Hopefully this topic received the serious consideration needed at the recent G20 meeting. This transition is essential ASAP if we are to avoid the nightmare of a inevitable, unsolvable climate catastrophy.
I just can’t wait for Hydrogen, l really think it’s the future, the only problem might be “how green is it “
And I ask the same question every time this comes up – what are poor people supposed to buy? They can’t afford new EVs or hydrogen cars, or $200/hr labor charges at dealers for service or $10000 for a new battery or the innards for a hydrogen car. Are poor people supposed to just use public transportation?
Please explain plan to safely store and carry the hydrogen on the vehicle.
Excess electric power will become more available as the massive move to scale renewable energy continues. Hydrogen is a good way to store excess capacity with the ability to use it directly in vehicles, trucks, boats, airplanes, etc. Conversion back to electric power is easy and non-polluting. Hydrogen is here for the long hall, literally!