Is hydrogen a suitable drive technology? Major German auto supplier, Mahle, believes that the hydrogen engine is ready for series production in agricultural machinery and trucks. But when it comes to cars, many experts are pessimistic. We take a look.
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00:00 The global population is growing.
00:07 More and more energy and resources are needed.
00:11 Goods are being transported around the world, resulting in ever higher levels of CO2 emissions.
00:18 Transportation needs to become climate neutral.
00:21 Could hydrogen engines be the solution for long-haul vehicles?
00:28 We see the advantages of a hydrogen combustion engine when it comes to heavy-duty vehicles,
00:34 high-load vehicles and high-durability vehicles.
00:37 Internal combustion engines are durable and can deliver millions of kilometers in performance.
00:44 It's actually very simple.
00:46 You can refit a classic diesel combustion engine, thereby turning it into a hydrogen
00:51 engine that's completely climate neutral.
00:54 And that way, old diesel engines get refitted instead of being junked.
00:59 The pistons, among other components, need to be modified.
01:05 Automotive suppliers like Mahle are adapting and producing the components for the new hydrogen
01:10 engines.
01:12 Demand from engine builders is high.
01:17 We're using this 7.8-litre diesel engine that we've fit with hydrogen components.
01:29 We left everything the way it was because the engine's a good starting point.
01:33 That's why we chose it and just added the hydrogen components.
01:39 We convert basic diesel engines into hydrogen engines.
01:45 Hydrogen also has a very low ignition temperature, which means you need very little energy to
01:50 ignite it.
01:51 That's why we need to install an ample amount of control technology.
01:56 The engine is being stress-tested using a continuous load.
02:00 It's scheduled to go into series production by 2024.
02:03 At first, they'll be used to power generators for construction sites and hospitals.
02:10 Demand for hydrogen will continue to rise for commercial and private vehicles too.
02:17 The German National Hydrogen Council estimates that demand for hydrogen fuel is expected
02:22 to increase by more than eightfold by 2050.
02:28 If you want to have hydrogen on the road, then you have to fulfill certain requirements,
02:34 like building filling stations.
02:36 The vehicles would have to use them for the stations to be economically viable.
02:42 So 400 cars would be needed.
02:45 That would be difficult because there are only a few hydrogen cars around.
02:50 But a fleet of 20 trucks would be enough to make it economically viable, especially for
02:55 commercial and fleet transport.
03:00 The price of hydrogen at filling stations is still relatively high.
03:04 But once the infrastructure is in place, the prices should go down.
03:08 A car, for example, needs one kilo of hydrogen per 100 kilometers.
03:13 In 12 years' time, the price of hydrogen is expected to go down by more than half, from
03:18 14 euros to just over 6.
03:24 Engine manufacturer Deutz develops and produces engines for commercial vehicles.
03:29 Engine propulsion has many advantages for tractors, agricultural vehicles and trains.
03:36 If you have a very large machine that has, say, 300 horsepower and it's run with a heavy
03:44 load for a long time, it needs a lot of power, such as with excavators.
03:51 Then you'd need so much energy that the battery would have to get bigger and bigger.
03:57 And with an excavator, at some point, it's hard to build a big enough battery.
04:05 If the necessary infrastructure is built, then hydrogen engines could help to create
04:09 a more climate-friendly future.
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