Automotive Engineering - February 2023 - 18

TIME
FOR
HYDROGEN
Charlie Freese, head of GM's global fuel cell business, sees
common intermodal solutions driving hydrogen's growth.
OEMs, a growing number of passenger-vehicle makers
(and some who manufacture both) have launched or
ramped up their hydrogen work in parallel with their
electric-vehicle developments. Some analysts view
these strategies as a hedge if EV sales, battery-chemistry
advancements and strategic materials sourcing
fall short of 2035 electrification goals.
Honda, for example, is collaborating with GM (which
has built prodigious intellectual property in the field
over 50 years) on fuel-cell development. Honda will
launch U.S. production of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles
in 2024; the first model is a plug-in hybrid based on
the new CR-V. BMW, which like Honda is following a
multi-modal propulsion strategy, is building a pilot
fleet of 100 iX5 Hydrogen SUVs. Fuel-cell technology
and vehicle development continues with aggressive
programs at Toyota and Hyundai, both among the industry
leaders. GM itself has created a separate business
unit, Hydrotec, that is moving to productionize a
range of modular PEM (polymer-electrolyte
membrane)-type fuel cells designed for use across
multiple industry sectors, including the largest transportation
and power-generation uses.
" Electrification and hydrogen fuel cells are very complementary
to each other, " observed Charlie Freese,
executive director of GM's Global Fuel Cell organization.
" The physics and technologies that go into making a
very good battery are actually made better by what I
hybridize in a fuel-cell application. A good fuel cell
makes a battery stronger and vice-versa. We can optimize
each one around the way they work best. What
goes behind making them good for a very big truck
also makes them good for the other applications. "
18 February 2023
Inside a typical PEM fuel cell, the most common type used in vehicles.
While batteries serve as both energy storage and energy-recovery
tools, Freese asserted that " for working vehicles, there is a very real
issue: Bigger batteries take longer to charge or demand much higherpowered
fast chargers. " And battery mass frequently must be offset
by payload reductions. " This is where hydrogen comes in, " he said.
The OEMs' rekindled interest in hydrogen fuel cells has spurred
significant investments (and profound business-model pivots) by
suppliers including Bosch, Schaeffler Group, Faurecia/Forvia, Mahle
and Magna, and supplier collaborations (recently ZF with
Freudenberg, Forvia with Symbio).
Industry stakeholders aim to leverage federal incentives in Europe
and North America. In the U.S., the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
gives hydrogen production, storage and utilization multiple tax benefits.
The law introduces a 10-year production tax credit (PTC) for
" clean hydrogen defined by the lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions
rate achieved at a qualifying hydrogen production facility on which
construction starts before 2033. " It extends and creates Investment
Tax Credits (ITCs) for clean-energy generation. Producers can opt for
either credit type. The IRA defines " clean energy " by a maximum
emissions rate of 4 kg of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per kilogram
of hydrogen. It provides a substantial credit for clean commercial
vehicles and expands the alternative-fuel station credit to help
grow the number of hydrogen fueling stations. Under the IRA, the
hydrogen must be produced in the U.S.
" Government can help kick-start this, but then investors must see a
viable return, " McCormick observed. " Clearly that is occurring. "
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
FROM LEFT: LINDSAY BROOKE; SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Automotive Engineering - February 2023

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