Fuel Cell

At the 2018 Caravan Salon, Mercedes will bring some of the latest auto technologies over to the camper van side, highlighting fuel cell power and connected convenience in a trio of concept camper vans. On the more "here and now" side, it will also highlight some features of the new Sprinter.

Hydrogen may be the zero-emission fuel of the future, but transport and storage has always been a head-scratcher. Highly flammable and difficult to ship due to its low density, the logistical issues have always stood in the way of progress, until now.

Toyota has unveiled its second prototype of the Project Portal hydrogen fuel cell truck. This "Beta," as Toyota refers to it internally, is the second iteration of the truck, adding more range, more room in the cab, and better usability. This is a more commercially-viable truck, Toyota says.

FedEx Express is currently operating the first fuel cell electric delivery van for on-road use in North America. The zero emission van is a collaboration between Workhorse Group and Plug Power and is based on Workhorse's electric delivery van, using Plug Power's hydrogen fuel cell to recharge.

Rather than using hydrogen in its normal gaseous state, a liquid hydrogen carrier called formic acid has been floated, and now a team from EPFL has built a promising prototype of a formic acid-based fuel cell.

Hyundai has just completed South Korea's longest level 4 autonomous driving demonstration with a hydrogen fuel cell-powered NEXO test vehicle. Five cars drove themselves 190 km (118 mi) from Seoul to Pyeongchang, self-managing everything from highway lane changes to toll booths.

A University of Cambridge team has developed a new design for an algae-based fuel cell that is apparently five times more efficient than existing devices, and much cheaper to make and easier to use.

Toyota has announced it will build the world's first megawatt-scale carbonate fuel cell power generation plant with a hydrogen fueling station in California. This 'Tri-Gen" facility will use locally-sourced agricultural bio-waste to generate huge amounts of power, lots of hydrogen, and clean water.

Toyota has unveiled a concept vehicle to be shown at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, the Sora fuel cell bus. The bus is aimed for production in 2018, with more than 100 of them to be used in the Tokyo metropolitan area ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With disaster relief top of mind for the US government, GM is presenting military leaders with a platform it hopes can one day help. The multi-vehicle SURUS platform uses a fuel cell powertrain and autonomous capabilities to aid in disaster relief and other complex logistics scenarios.

Urban aerial surveillance is already seen as a crucial element in the information mosaic required by any smart city, and last week's TM Forum Smart City In Focus Conference in Yinchuan (China) saw the first showing of an Unmanned Aerial System that has been purpose-built for the task.

The Frankfurt Motor Show wraps up this weekend, and with it goes a stunning collection of cars, trucks, vans, urban transporters, flying taxis and more. As we bid this year's IAA adieu, we give you one final gallery.​