
Fuel cell boosts range of electric vehicles
The system sits on the roof of the Nissan e-NV200 van so that it does not reduce the load space. This gives the van a range of 150 miles.
ULEMCo’s power module has been specifically engineered to provide additional energy to the vehicle so that the operational practicality of the full electric vehicle can be widened to cope with seasonal range variation, working lifetime, and the impact on range when fully loaded – all things that currently limit the range of duties an operator can target for existing for zero-emission commercial vehicles.
Using a 12kW fuel cell and 1.6 kg/day on-board hydrogen storage capability, the van will have almost twice the range of the standard e-NV200. ULEMCo’s RX module on the roof provides power via the battery to support the drive load requirements for the base van.
“We are excited to have completed our integration study for a zero-emission FC extended van”, said Amanda Lyne, CEO of ULEMCo. “This UK-engineered solution will meet the need for a practical small van urban delivery operation.”
This comes as car makers have reduced their emphasis on fuel cells as a power source. Hyundai is launching a new SUV powered by a hydrogen fuel cell but has also siad that it is focussing on electric vehicle platforms as the fuel cell technology will not be viable until 2030, although the Chinese government has set a target of 1m fuel cell cars on the road by that date. The UK government in March announced a £23m programme to boost fuel cell development for cars.
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