E-powertrain development consultancy CamMotive has unveiled new capability for hydrogen fuel cell testing and development at its laboratory in Cambridge, UK.

The dedicated test site has been created to evaluate and optimize the next generation of hydrogen fuel cell technologies for use in transportation and stationary power applications.

Our objective was to create a test environment to support and accelerate the development cycle for new hydrogen fuel cell technologies, including hardware and control system optimisation.

We’re combining world-class test capability and infrastructure with decades of expertise in powertrain testing and development to help our partners deliver the most sustainable hydrogen-fueled solutions for road, air, rail and sea transportation and stationary power.

—Bruce Campbell, Director of CamMotive

The facility is capable of testing hydrogen fuel cell systems of up to 150kW with potential to accommodate 200+kW systems. CamMotive has developed bespoke software to control the fuel cell test environment and measure key metrics including electrical power output, thermal output, hydrogen usage and emissions. Data from these tests are used to evaluate component behaviour and overall system performance and allow optimization for efficiency, transient response, safety and service life.

The development of the test facility was initiated as part of CamMotive’s role in a consortium led by Ford to build a small fleet of prototype hydrogen fuel cell versions of its electric E-Transit commercial vehicle. The three-year FCVGen2.0 project was announced in May 2023 and is part funded by the UK Government via the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) Collaborative Research and Development program.

As well as meeting the requirements of the project, the test environment has been developed to serve the wider hydrogen fuel cell market in the UK and around the world.

CamMotive is an independent powertrain testing specialist working with Tier 1 automotive manufacturers, OEMs and research institutions involved in the development of battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles to validate, optimise and develop electric vehicle technologies. The company’s hydrogen infrastructure will also be used to support the development of hydrogen combustion engine (H2ICE) technology via its sister company, Cambustion.