(Hanover) – The “IAA Transportation Fair” closed its doors yesterday, Sunday (September 25th). Over six days, experts and those interested in mobility visited 1.402 exhibitors from 41 countries. There have been a number of innovations and new products in the area of hydrogen and fuel cells. A selection.
Karsan brings hydrogen buses to the German market
The Turkish vehicle manufacturer Karsan Otomotiv Sanayii ve Tic. A.Ş. has expanded its offering with the “e-ATA Hydrogen” fuel cell-powered bus. 
The twelve-meter-long low-floor car is designed for 95 passengers and is equipped with a 1.560-liter lightweight hydrogen tank. According to the company, under real operating conditions, i.e. when the vehicle is loaded with passengers and driving on stop-and-go routes, the bus can achieve a range of over 500 kilometers. The refueling time is seven minutes.
The fuel cell has an output of 70 kilowatts. In addition, a 30 kilowatt-hour lithium titanate battery (LTO) supports the electric motor as an auxiliary power source in difficult road conditions and offers additional range for emergencies.
The bus has flexible seating options, different door variants and a driver's cabin that meets the VDV regulations for local public transport. “Currently two percent of the city bus market in Europe is equipped with hydrogen technology,” says Okan Baş, Managing Director of Karsan. “We estimate that hydrogen vehicles will dominate 2030 percent of the market by 15.”
Karsan produces the conventional models Jest, Atak and Star under its own brand. Karsan also produces and sells the fully electric models e-JEST and e-ATAK as part of a cooperation with BMW. Karsan currently builds buses for Menarinibus (Italy) and will also produce the Megane sedan for the Renault brand by the end of 2022. (Photo: e-ATA Hydrogen bus. © Karsan)
Loop develops 120 kW fuel cell system
The Loop Energy Inc., Canadian developer and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cells for commercial vehicles, 
presented a 120 kilowatt fuel cell system “S1200”. This is based on Loop Energy's existing technology and offers an additional increase in efficiency of 20 percent in electricity generation. The S1200 is designed for a net efficiency of up to 60 percent, giving an electric vehicle a fuel-to-wheel efficiency of up to 54 percent compared to the typical diesel vehicle efficiency of 20 to 25 percent.
Loop Energy was able to achieve this increase in efficiency through its patented eFlow fuel cell architecture. Loop Energy uses a trapezoidal shape with tapered channels for its bipolar plates, which increases the gas velocity in the plate, which leads to better results in terms of fuel efficiency and output power. This reduces the total operating costs of hydrogen-electric commercial vehicles because less hydrogen is used per kilometer. Fuel costs accounted for around half of the total operating costs of hydrogen heavy-duty vehicles.
Loop Energy has offices in Italy and the UK, cooperates with OEMs and has a new production facility in Shanghai. (Photo: S1200 fuel cell system. © Loop Energy Inc.)
Iveco and Hyundai present large fuel cell vans
The Iveco Group, Italian manufacturer of commercial and military vehicles, and the 
korean Hyundai Motor Company have shown a large transporter called the “Iveco eDAILY Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle” (FCEV). The prototype with a permissible total weight of 7,2 tons is equipped with Hyundai's 90-kilowatt fuel cell system and a 140-kilowatt electric motor. Six tanks offer a cumulative storage capacity of twelve kilograms of hydrogen. According to the company, the vehicle was tested in Europe. The payload is three tons and the range is 350 kilometers with a refueling time of 15 minutes.
The battery-electric model “eDAILY BEV”, which is also available with methane/biomethane drives, is designed for short journeys. The fuel cell-powered type “eDAILY FCEV”, in contrast, is intended to serve customers who need vehicles with a long range and high payload. It includes the battery pack from FPT Industrial, the drive brand of the Iveco Group. Hyundai supplies a fuel cell system that is said to have covered over 4,5 million kilometers in heavy trucks in Switzerland. According to Marco Liccardo, Chief Technology & Digital Officer of the Iveco Group, “based on this prototype, there will be a small series of FCEV vans for testing with selected customers by the end of next year.” The two companies had already announced a hydrogen-powered bus at the beginning of July. (Photo: Iveco eDAILY Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle FCEV © Hyundai)
Quantron fuel cell truck
The Augsburgs Quantron AG, provider of vans, trucks and buses, is launching a hydrogen-powered
Fuel cell trucks on the market. This is a vehicle for long-distance transport and heavy-duty operations, which is suitable for tractors and chassis derivatives based on the MAN TG3 platform (TGS, TGX). Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc., a US manufacturer of transmissions and hybrid drives for commercial vehicles, is contributing its “eGen Power 130D” axle. The two integrated electric motors deliver a total continuous output of 454 kilowatts and a peak output of up to 652 kilowatts.
The Quantron FCEV truck has a 54 kilogram hydrogen storage tank with fuel cells from Ballard Power Systems (Canada) with an output of 240 kilowatts. These feed a 118-kilowatt-hour battery pack and enabled the “QHM FCEV 44-1000” model shown to have a range of 700 kilometers. The vehicle with the axle configurations 4×2 (four wheels, two of which are driven) and 6×2 will be available for customer testing from 2023. (Photo: Michael Perschke, managing director of Quantron AG, David Graziosi, board member and managing director of Allison Transmission, and Herbert Robel, Quantron board member, presenting Quantron's QHM FCEV 44-1000. © Quantron AG)
Nicola presents beta version of the European Nikola Tre FCEV
The US-American Nicholas Corporation effect 
Together with the Italian Iveco Group, the battery-electric variant of the “Nikola Tre (BEV)” and the beta version of the European fuel cell electric vehicle “Nikola Tre (FCEV)” were presented. The European 4×2 Artic version of the Nikola Tre BEV is a heavy-duty truck with a range of 530 kilometers. The Nikola Tre FCEV tractor-trailer is scheduled to launch in North America in the second half of 2023 and in Europe in 2024.
The Nikola Tre BEV is a “modular platform for articulated heavy-duty tractors with electric drive that is equipped with both energy sources,” said Luca Sra, Truck Business Unit President, Iveco Group. Battery-electric has a range of up to 500 kilometers, while the fuel cell drive has a range of up to 800 kilometers in the first generation. The European Nikola Tre BEV is manufactured by the Nikola Iveco Europe joint venture in Ulm.
The European 4×2 Artic version of the Nikola Tre BEV has nine batteries with a cumulative capacity of 738 kilowatt hours. The drive axle with 480 kilowatts of continuous power is supplied by Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FTP Industrial).
The Nikola Tre FCEV Artic 6×2 in the beta version has a steered trailing axle and, according to the company, can hold around 70 kilograms of hydrogen at a pressure of 700 bar. The refueling process takes less than 20 minutes and the range is 800 kilometers. (Photo: Nikola Managing Director Michael Lohscheller with the Nikola Tre FCEV, © Nikola Corp.)
Sinosynergy shows fuel cell coach
The Chinese manufacturer of fuel cells Sinosynergy Hydrogen Technology Co., Ltd. effect 
presented its first fuel cell-powered coach for Europe. The vehicle, called “Hydrogen Fuel Cell Journey Coach”, is a joint development with the Chinese Allenbus Automotive Technology Co., Ltd., the vehicle manufacturer Foshan Feichi Manufacturing Co. Ltd., which specializes in hydrogen vehicles, the Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo SA and Danfoss A/S, the Danish company that deals with heating and cooling technology as well as hydraulics and electric motors.
The model, produced in China and based on the Marcopolo Audace 1050, was designed for the European market and its standards, can carry up to 53 passengers and travel more than 500 kilometers on one tank of fuel, according to the company. The refueling time is five minutes. Sinosynergy supplies the technology and drive, Danfoss the motor and battery storage. The bus will be offered on the European, Southeast Asian and American markets. No details were given. (Photo: The bus called “Hydrogen Fuel Cell Journey Coach” at the IAA. © Synosynergy)
Photos
The IAA Transportation took place in Hanover from September 19th to 25th. The next IAA Transportation will take place at the same location from September 17th to 22nd, 2024. © IAA / Photovision-DH GmbH
