Hyzon Motors said it had developed a new onboard hydrogen storage system capable of reducing weight and manufacturing cost of commercial vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The patent-pending onboard storage integrates lightweight composite materials with the system’s metal frame. It has the potential to reduce the overall weight of the system by 43%, storage system costs by 52% and the required manufacturing component count by 75%, based on a single-rack system with capacity to store five hydrogen cylinders, the company said.
In addition to reducing the weight and costs, the new system can be configured to hold varying numbers of hydrogen tanks. The smallest version can hold five and can be extended to seven because of its modular design. A separate version can hold 10 tanks, appropriate for trucks driving longer distances.
While these configurations are mounted completely behind the cab, another configuration allows for an additional two tanks to be mounted each side of the truck, extending range without reducing trailer size.
Hyzon developed the system in Europe and the US and plans to produce the new system at Rochester, New York, and Groningen, the Netherlands for use on its own vehicles worldwide.
It also expects to license this new system to other commercial vehicle companies.
The technology has been installed in pilot trucks in Europe and is expected to be used for all vehicles beginning in Q4 2021.