Use of fuel cells in cars   (NOT YET FULLY EDITED)

Electric drives for transport cannot be stopped. There are several reasons for that. The most important are:

  • environmental and climate protection
  • resource shortages
  • an ever increasing proportion of renewable energy increases the proportion of electricity
  • Cost savings

The market has room for battery vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Battery vehicles are typical as a second car for short journeys. The potential for price reductions for fuel cells are much larger than for batteries. Furthermore fuel cells make possible the expected ease of use with respect to time to refill and range.

A comparison with conventional drives of the current state of the art is meaningful for estimating the potential for development.

Source: Daimler

These pictures show an engine block and an automatic gear box as a part of the drive train. A conventional engine is made from many thousand complex components, which have to be delicately put together. A feat of engineering after a development period of more than 100 years! The costs of these components are at around 80 €/kW astonishingly low.

Source: Ford

Source: Daimler

Source: University of Paderborn

The picture to the left shows the principle of a synchronous motor, which is the preferred type of motor for vehicle drive trains. It is made from a few similar components. Just like the fuel cell, an electric motor is ideal for mass production.

The red / green permanent magnets may be replaced by coils with iron cores, just as it is shown for the stator.

The picture above shows a complete fuel cell system. The costs for this system were determined to be around 20 €/kW in the medium term. The picture below it shows a axle drive with two electic motors (synchronous motors) each of 50 kW. Because each wheel is driven separately the cardan shaft is not needed. By comparing the manufacturing penetration of fuel cell power trains and conventional drive trains the potential for cost savings can at least be hinted at. Huel cell and electric motor are ideal for cheap mass production. The construction and the costs of fuel cells is handled in the fuel cells chapter.

The fuel usage of fuel cell cars which are already on the road today is around 30 kWh / 100 km. That is about 1 kg hydrogen / 100 km (1 €/ 100 km). It would be possible to achieve 0,25 kg/100 km if a good regenerative braking system were included and the shock absorbers were electronically controlled. Battery vehicles use 15-25 kWh/ 100 km. The BMW 12.9 kWh / 100 km. Fuel cell vehicles are anticipated to reach 10 kWh / 100 km. These statements are for well powered full blown saloon cars.

The first fuel cell vehicles will be according to their nature relatively expensive. Due to their low production volume there is no other option. It is meaningless to start full-scale production whilst there is not sufficient filling station infrastructure. The oil industry simply does not join in. How it can be done sustainably without the oil industry is shown on the concept page of this site.

Alternatively the Jülich research centre determine the cost to be around 29 billion €  in case a separate hydrogen network were to be built for filling stations. An equivalent infrastructure for electric vehicles would cost even more. It is simply more cost efficient if the existing natural gas network drives electricity, heat and mobility by transporting hydrogen.

updated: 03.07.2014