Plug Power unveils stationary high-power fuel cell system for charging commercial electric fleets
02 May 2023
Plug Power unveiled a new high-power stationary fuel cell system for charging commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleets. Plug’s standard 18,000-gallon liquid hydrogen tank combined with its new megawatt-scale PEM fuel cell solution can provide more than 60 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy—enough to charge more than 600 EVs.
Operators deploying commercial electric vehicles face many obstacles, from grid power capacity restrictions to clean power requirements to long waits for grid infrastructure upgrades and installations. Plug provides operators with a new solution: a hydrogen-powered fuel cell system that cost-effectively charges EV fleets, getting zero-emission EV vehicles deployed to meet fleet operator’s sustainability and operational goals.
As EV adoption increases dramatically over the next few years and electricity demand strains the grid, our new high-power fuel cell system will be a game changer for the EV industry. Customers are approaching Plug for hydrogen power generation options, and we expect this offering to be one of the largest applications for stationary use this year.
—Jose Luis Crespo, General Manager of Applications and Global Accounts for Plug
Plug said it has significant interest in this new solution from EV fleet owners such as delivery van fleets, rental car companies with battery EVs, and telecom providers with fleets of maintenance vehicles, as well as public charging networks and EV charger manufacturers.
This seems like a particularly inefficient way to change BEVs. You use electricity to make hydrogen and then you use the hydrogen to power a fuel cell to make electricity. Between the electrolysis and the fuel cell, you have wasted at least 50% and maybe as much as 70% of the electricity. There has to be a better way to do this. The only reason that I could imagine not using electricity directly is that there are no transmission lines available but still.
Posted by: sd | 02 May 2023 at 09:14 AM
@sd:
The reason us that the massive draws on the local grid mean that currently to power fleets of EVs and especially heavy duty ones such as trucks, then good old, environmentally benign diesels tend to be fired up, so you have the credits for running EVs without the hassle.
That ain't actually great for the environment.
Musk is thinking about it, while he catches his private jet to discuss how Tesla leads in environmentalism.
He does that more than anyone else.
Posted by: Davemart | 02 May 2023 at 01:49 PM
For this reason, I prefer a Plug-in H2 hybrid that can run on electricity for 40-50 miles per charge, then have 300-mi range on H2. You would use electricity during the Springs and Falls when there will be a surplus of Renewable Energy, then use H2 during the peak of electricity demand due to extreme weather, either too hot or too cold. In fact, you can sell the electricity generated from your vehicle back to the grid during peak grid demand to help out the grid from collapsing due to heavy load.
Having an on-board electricity generator to back up your house or business during power black-out would make a plug-in EV worth the extra price premium over ICEV or non-plug-in HEV, while still being cheaper to own than a BEV that is dependent on the grid.
Posted by: Roger Pham | 03 May 2023 at 10:11 PM