Bosch’s latest innovation is driving sustainability in logistics at their Nuremberg plant, where they’ve introduced a fuel-cell electric truck into their operations.
Equipped with Bosch’s own fuel-cell power module (FCPM), an advancement recently nominated for the German President’s Future Prize, this truck is a testament to Bosch’s commitment to reducing emissions.
“When we decided to make our plant traffic more climate-friendly, it was clear that we wanted a truck featuring Bosch’s FCPM,” says Alexander Weichsel, the commercial plant manager in Nuremberg. “This deployment is an important building block that helps us reduce our emissions in logistics. The fact that several thousand trucks with Bosch fuel-cell systems are already on the road worldwide shows that the concept is proving its worth.”
This 40-ton vehicle operates entirely on electricity by converting hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity. By using renewable hydrogen, the truck’s powertrain becomes climate-neutral, aligning with Bavaria’s Hydrogen Strategy 2.0.
The Iveco truck boasts a range of 800 kilometers and is managed by freight forwarder Schäflein, who rents it from Hylane, a company specializing in emissions-free vehicles. The truck, primarily used for transporting manufacturing products, is projected to travel 12,000 kilometers annually, significantly cutting down CO2 emissions by using hydrogen instead of diesel.
Additionally, the primary objective of deploying this vehicle is to collect data and insights for enhancing future powertrain systems, such as the Compact 190 and Compact 300 models.
Weichsel remains hopeful about future developments: “The fact we’ve had no problems operating this truck shows that the fuel cell is ready for volume production.” He emphasizes the importance of a robust hydrogen infrastructure and abundant supply as critical to a successful hydrogen economy, efforts Bosch is actively pursuing in the Nuremberg region.
This marks the first real-world application in Europe of Bosch’s system with the Iveco FCPM truck. The truck is outfitted with five hydrogen tanks, each holding 70 kilograms at 700 bar pressure, contributing to a system output of over 200 kilowatts. Its fuel-cell system powers the e-axle, complemented by two centrally-installed battery packs for energy storage.
The truck’s overall system output reaches 400 kilowatts, supporting a gross weight of up to 44 metric tons. Its practical benefits include a robust design, long-range capability unaffected by ambient temperature, and rapid refueling times akin to diesel trucks. The FCPM entered large-scale production in Stuttgart-Feuerbach in mid-2023, with components sourced from Bosch’s Bamberg and Homburg plants.
Bosch has long been an advocate for the hydrogen economy, working on innovations for hydrogen production, infrastructure, and applications. This spring, Bosch launched technology for electrolyzers and introduced Hybrion PEM electrolysis stacks, with ongoing projects in both mobile fuel cells and hydrogen engines.
Original Story at electriccarsreport.com