Fuel Cell

With the release of a Pininfarina-styled concept car at Auto Shanghai, this Wuhan-based automotive startup is putting all its eggs in the Hydrogen basket, with a plan to release something for the road within 8 months on the way to building a portfolio of Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Roland Gumpert, of Audi Quattro and Apollo fame, has put forth a supercar that solves the problem of limited electric range and slow charging. The 800-horsepower, all wheel drive Nathalie uses a cheaply refuellable methanol fuel cell to charge its batteries as you drive.

This fuel cell-powered coaxial octacopter just stayed aloft for 70 minutes of continuous flight, while carrying a 5kg (11-pound) weight. The record demonstrates the flight endurance capabilities of hydrogen-powered electric aircraft.

Israeli-Australian company Electriq Global's new technology stabilizes hydrogen in a recyclable liquid that can be pumped and transported just like gasoline. That's huge, because it enables long-range electric driving with fast refueling – and it plugs right into the existing fuel logistics model.

A team of Brown University scientists has developed a new catalyst that could make hydrogen fuel cell​-powered vehicles more economical. Based on nanoparticles made of an alloy of platinum and cobalt, the new catalyst is cheaper than pure platinum, and also more efficient and longer lasting.

The world's first hydrogen fuel cell-powered train has entered regular service in Germany with a two-car Alstom Coradia iLint taking to the tracks on Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser's (EVB) Elbe-Weser network in Lower Saxony.

​BShark has moved mountains to bring down the price of its long-range Narwhal 2 drone. Powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, this 6.6-kg monster flies for up to two hours, transmits up to 30 km and costs US$6,800, making it an attractive option for industrial inspection and surveillance applications.

The Hyundai Motor Company has teased a hydrogen fuel cell big rig ahead of the upcoming IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 exposition. Promising a European launch of the truck in 2019, Hyundai released an image and a vague statement about the vehicle before its official debut.

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.