Freudenberg Sealing Technologies and Quantron have begun developing a fuel cell drive for lorries in the 40-tonne class. The first test vehicle is expected to hit the roads in mid-2021.
Freudenberg and Quantron develop fuel cell drive for lorries
Freudenberg
The Freudenberg Group has been researching fuel cell technology since the mid-1990s. It now plans to develop and produce a fuel cell drive for heavy-duty trucks in the 40-tonne weight class together with commercial vehicle retrofitter Quantron. "The goal is to develop fuel cells that can manage a long service life and real heavy-duty profiles to outshine diesel when it comes to total cost of ownership. We intend to launch a sustainable, emission-free alternative for heavy-duty traffic on the market," says Dr Manfred Stefener, Vice President Fuel Cell Systems at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies.
The first test vehicle, named Energon, is due to hit the roads in Bavaria as early as mid-2021. "Fuel cell trucks are the only economical, emission-free alternative that permits large payloads as well as significant ranges and fast refuelling cycles," says Stefener. In addition to fuel cells, the focus will also be on using combinations of materials that optimise service life and developing interfaces for applications with optimised use of space in commercial vehicles. The project has received funding from the Energy Research Programme of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy.