Researchers from the University of Houston have reported a significant breakthrough with a new oxygen evolution reaction catalyst that, combined with a hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst, achieved current densities capable of supporting industrial demands while requiring relatively low voltage to start seawater electrolysis. Researchers say the device, composed of inexpensive... Read more →

PowerCell Sweden AB has developed a new and improved version of its MS-100 fuel cell system. The new MS-100 is 30% more compact and has improved operating life time as well as robustness for demanding applications on land and at sea. The MS-100 fuel cell system has been developed for... Read more →

PowerCell Sweden AB signed a contract with Norwegian Havyard Group ASA for the development of the design and the technical specifications for a zero-emissions fuel-cell system. The system may come to be installed on board a vessel that will service the shipping company Havila Kystruten’s new route from Bergen to... Read more →

Alstom and the Province of Groningen, local operator Arriva, the Dutch railway infrastructure manager ProRail and the energy company Engie have signed plans for a pilot project to test the Coradia iLint, a passenger train powered by hydrogen fuel cells (earlier post), for the first time in the Netherlands. The... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has put the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) on hold after receiving voucher requests for its entire $142-million budget. More than 100 truck and bus fleets requested funding for vehicles produced by more than 20 manufacturers. CARB, in partnership... Read more →

Cummins Inc. unveiled a heavy-duty truck with fuel cell and battery electric power at the 2019 North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta. Cummins’ strategy is to provide its customers with a broad portfolio of power options, from diesel and natural gas, hybrids, to battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company announced key investments into three hydrogen companies—Impact Coatings, H2Pro and GRZ Technologies—to strengthen its leadership position in the global hydrogen fuel cell ecosystem. The collaborations will enable Hyundai to expand its hydrogen infrastructure and enhance the efficiency of its fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) manufacturing. Our investment... Read more →

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology, University of Tsukuba, and colleagues in Japan report a promising hydrogen carrier in the form of hydrogen boride nanosheets. The two-dimensional materials derived from magnesium diboride (MgB2) were first reported by researchers in Japan in 2017. The nanosheets exhibit extraordinary electronic and mechanical properties... Read more →

Daimler Trucks & Buses, one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, aims to offer only new vehicles that are CO2-neutral in driving operation (“tank-to-wheel”) in the triad markets of Europe, Japan and NAFTA by 2039. The Mercedes-Benz eActros heavy-duty electric truck, with a range of up to 200 km,... Read more →

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), under the umbrella of Daimler Trucks Asia (DTA), unveiled the “Vision F-CELL”, a concept fuel-cell-powered light-duty truck, and the model year 2019 Super Great heavy-duty truck, Japan’s first series-produced commercial vehicle equipped with SAE(Society of Automotive Engineers) Level... Read more →

Groupe Renault is extending the range of its electric light commercial vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells. Renault KANGOO Z.E. Hydrogen will be available at the end of 2019 and Renault MASTER Z.E. Hydrogen in 2020. Tested since 2014, Groupe Renault’s hydrogen technology was developed in partnership with Symbio, a Groupe... Read more →

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 784 into law, thereby exempting zero-emissions transit buses from state sales tax until 2024. For the bill, the category “transit bus” includes: “Articulated bus”—a 54-foot to 60-foot bus with two connected passenger compartments. “Bus”—a rubber-tire vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating greater... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced that the application period for the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Zero‑Emission Transit, School, and Shuttle Bus program is now open. This solicitation is open to eligible bus owners throughout California, and funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The San Joaquin Valley Air... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) released the first rendering images of its concept for a hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric truck, HDC-6 NEPTUNE. Known for its leadership in fuel cell technology with integrated capabilities for the passenger and commercial vehicle markets, HMC will debut its latest commercial truck concept during this year’s... Read more →

Germany’s BMVI (Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure) awarded €23.5 million to a set of hydrogen mobility projects ranging from forklift trucks to equipping a ride-pooling fleet to the development of a hydrogen bus and a fuel-cell-powered street sweeper. Hydrogen, fuel cells and electricity move the future. We have... Read more →

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have shown for the first time that a low-cost, non-precious metal cobalt phosphide (CoP) catalyst catalyst can split water and generate hydrogen gas for hours on end in the harsh environment of a commercial device. The electrolyzer... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Grainger College of Engineering intend to form the Midwest Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Coalition to raise awareness of the potential for hydrogen and fuel cells to provide energy resilience and security, reduce emissions and foster... Read more →

Germany-based Sunfire has signed a cooperation agreement with the French energy major Total SA. Sunfire will provide a megawatt-scale high temperature electrolyzer for use in industrial environments as part of the E-CO2MET research and development project. The company will also be responsible for the integration at the site as well... Read more →

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), Hydrogen Europe and the International Road Transport Union (IRU) are jointly calling on European policy makers to ramp up investments in EU-wide hydrogen refueling infrastructure for fuel cell electric vehicles. Fuel cell vehicles can contribute positively to the overall decarboniZation agenda of the EU.... Read more →

In Tokyo, the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) called for research proposals from Japan for 2019 under the Hydrogen Research Initiative established in 2017. This initiative is part of TMF’s goal to promote sustainable mobility. It recognizes that pairing carbon-free hydrogen systems with renewable energies contributes to energy sustainability. It also... Read more →

Toyota will preview the next generation of its Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. “Mirai Concept,” a final-stage development model of the second-generation Mirai will be on view at “Future Expo” from 24 October until 4 November at Megaweb. The re-designed Mirai features significantly... Read more →

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is collaborating with the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) US Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center and the US Army Corps of Engineers to develop and demonstrate ”H2Rescue“—a hydrogen fuel cell-powered emergency relief truck. This collaboration will enable increased... Read more →

The global industrial gas and engineering company Linde Group has made a £38.0 million (US$47 million) strategic investment in electrolyzer manufacturer ITM Power plc. Linde also is entering into a 50/50 joint venture with ITM which will focus on delivering green hydrogen to large scale industrial projects, principally those with... Read more →

Ballard Power Systems receiveda purchase order for 3 of its FCveloCity 100 kW fuel cell modules from Berlin-based BEHALA, a port and logistics specialist, to power the world’s first zero-emission push boat. The boat, to be named Elektra, will be used primarily to transport goods between Berlin and Hamburg as... Read more →

Loop Energy, a provider of fuel cell range extenders for medium- and heavy-duty motive applications, has established a joint venture and non-exclusive license agreement with IN-Power, a leading power electronics supplier to the transport sector in China. Under the terms of the Agreement, the two companies will collaborate to produce... Read more →

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), with colleagues from Oregon State University, have developed PNNL a durable, inexpensive molybdenum-phosphide catalyst that efficiently converts wastewater and seawater into hydrogen. Details of the team’s study appear in the journal ACS Catalysis. The findings stem from a three-year project funded by the... Read more →

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation signed a Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement to deepen their partnership in the fields of electrification and intelligent networking. Chairman of Guangzhou Automobile Group Zeng Qinghong (left) and Toyota President Akio Toyoda (right) Under the agreement, based on the basic concept that... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company and Cummins Inc. have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) jointly to evaluate opportunities to develop and commercialize electric and fuel cell powertrains. These new powertrains are expected to be developed by combining Hyundai’s fuel cell systems with Cummins’ electric powertrain, battery, and control technologies. The... Read more →

Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM), the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Company and H2 Energy, is partnering with Hydrospider, a joint venture of H2Energy, Alpiq and Linde to promote green hydrogen ecosystem in Switzerland and European countries in the upcoming future. As part of this effort, HHM and Hydrospider held a... Read more →

California’s transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) will begin to save the state money by as early as 2030, according to a study by researchers at the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis (ITS-Davis). Although the transition will need to be rapid, and near-term costs and... Read more →

Leading gas and engineering company BOC, a subsidiary of Linde plc, announced the commencement of a Queensland, Australia-first renewable hydrogen project at its production facility in Bulwer Island, Brisbane. The $3.1-million end-to-end renewable hydrogen supply project received $950,000 funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and is supported by... Read more →

South Australia Premier Steven Marshall released the state’s Hydrogen Action Plan, including the commitment of more than $1 million towards a study to identify optimal locations for renewable hydrogen production and export infrastructure. Premier Marshall said the export of hydrogen presents significant economic opportunity for South Australia. Minister for Energy... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that the second Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting—a policy platform for global utilization of hydrogen—scheduled to open in Japan on Wednesday will call for 10 million fuel cell vehicles—including trains, planes and automobiles—in 10 years. Currently, only around 10,000 vehicles around the world run on fuel cells. Japanese... Read more →

Films of platinum only two atoms thick supported by graphene could enable fuel cell catalysts with unprecedented catalytic activity and longevity, according to a study published recently by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, with colleagues from University of Oxford, in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. This graphic shows... Read more →

Loop Energy, a provider of fuel cell electric range extenders for medium- and heavy-duty transport applications, announced a cash investment from Cummins Inc. Cummins has made several recent investments in the electrification powertrain side of their business, including acquisitions of Hydrogenics (earlier post) and Efficient Drivetrains (earlier post). Hydrogen fuel... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a stationary fuel cell generator (FC generator) that makes use of the fuel cell system (FC system) equipped in the Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). The FC generator has been installed within the Honsha plant grounds in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and verification tests... Read more →

A team from the University of Cordoba in Spain and the University of Tehran in Iran has been searching for ways to increase hydrogen production by using microorganisms, specifically microalgae and bacteria. Researchers Neda Fakhimi, Alexandra Dubini and David González Ballester report being able to increase hydrogen production by combining... Read more →

A team of researchers in Israel has developed a two-step electrochemical-chemical cycle for decoupled water splitting with high efficiency. The method is described in a paper in the journal Nature Energy. In a purely electrolytic scheme, the water oxidation and reduction reactions are tightly coupled in both time and space,... Read more →

At the IAA in Frankfurt this year, Germany-based ElringKlinger AG is presenting a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack with exceptional performance characteristics as well as solutions centered around electric drivetrains as well as systems and components from the field of battery technology. The low-temperature fuel cell stack NM12... Read more →

The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a $95-million plan for critical clean transportation investments to expedite the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and help the state reach its climate, air quality and other goals. The plan also focuses on closing an anticipated gap in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, and... Read more →

Starting in 2021, public transport company Hamburger Hochbahn AG will be field-testing the new Mercedes-Benz eCitaro articulated bus with a fuel cell as a range extender. Mercedes-Benz will deliver two correspondingly equipped buses during the course of 2021. As announced a year ago at its world premiere, the all-electric and... Read more →

CNH Industrial N.V., the owner of IVECO and FPT Industrial, intends to enter into a strategic and exclusive heavy-duty truck partnership with Nikola Corporation to accelerate industry transformation towards emission neutrality of Class 8 heavy-duty trucks in North America and Europe through the adoption of fuel-cell technology. Nikola’s zero-emission Heavy... Read more →

FlixBus and Freudenberg Sealing Technologies are collaborating on a future-oriented project for sustainable, CO2-free mobility. Together, Europe’s largest operator of long-distance bus travel, the FlixBus brand, and global technology specialist Freudenberg Sealing Technologies are working to put fuel cell-powered coaches on the road. The two companies will further extend their... Read more →

ITM Power announced funding from the UK Government for the Gigastack feasibility study with Ørsted and Element Energy. The project funding is for the feasibility phase leading, if successful, to the opportunity to bid for further funding for the implementation. Gigastack, funded by the BEIS Hydrogen Supply Competition, will demonstrate... Read more →

The “Forze VIII”, a hydrogen fuel cell Le-Mans-style prototype, became the first hydrogen-electric vehicle to beat gasoline-powered cars in an official race. The car, designed, built, tested and raced by a group of students from Delft University of Technology, finished second in the Supercar Challenge at the TT Circuit in... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group opened Hyundai Hydrogen World—an exhibition hall dedicated to the fuel-cell electric vehicle, related technologies and energy—at the center of the Century Square in Shanghai. The exhibit is open to the public from 26 August through 8 September. The oval-shape arena covering 406 square meters enables visitors to... Read more →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $950,000 in funding for gas company BOC for a renewable hydrogen production and refueling project in Queensland. The $3.1-million pilot project will involve the installation of a 220 kW electrolyzer and a 100 kW solar array at BOC’s Bulwer Island gas facility... Read more →

Blue World Technologies has acquired 15% of Danish Power Systems, a developer and manufacturer of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for high-temperature PEM fuel cells. Blue World Technologies will use the Danish Power Systems technology in their methanol fuel cell systems. The complete Blue World system includes the fuel cell stack,... Read more →

Canadian researchers have developed a large-scale economical method to extract hydrogen from oil sands (natural bitumen) and oil fields. This can be used to power hydrogen-powered vehicles, which are already marketed in some countries, as well as to generate electricity. The process can extract hydrogen from existing oil sands reservoirs,... Read more →

In the latest effort to make aviation sustainable and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ZeroAvia announced advancements in developing a hydrogen-fueled electric powertrain. The solution aims to deliver the same performance as a conventional aircraft engine, and much lower operating costs. ZeroAvia plans to start supplying its platform to commercial operators... Read more →