Europe’s second-largest business car producer desires to construct 200 hydrogen-powered semi-trailers, however stays skeptical about whether or not hydrogen is appropriate as a transportation gasoline.
As these items go, it is a unusual announcement. MAN even went that far reiterates its dedication to battery electrical autos for “most” functions, unusual for an announcement a couple of hydrogen-powered product that the corporate plans to try to truly promote to a choose variety of hydrogen-powered clients notably heavy hundreds comparable to wooden or components for offshore wind generators. Different oddities surrounding hydrogen embody claims that “it is going to be a number of years earlier than the expertise is really market-ready and aggressive.”
These claims don’t come from Alexander Vlaskamp, the notoriously hydrogen-sceptic CEO of MAN Truck, who advised reporters: “It’s not possible for hydrogen to compete successfully with battery-electric vans“, again in January. “In the present day you may’t purchase hydrogen for lower than 13 or 14 euros… and it’s not inexperienced. And if we have now inexperienced hydrogen, it is going to be wanted for heavy business made from metal, cement or plastic.”
If that is all true, then why does MAN proceed to put money into hydrogen-powered car packages?
“Simply to check our speculation“ stated Vlaskamp (emphasis mine). “In 2035 we can use hydrogen for transport, however provided that there may be sufficient inexperienced hydrogen on the proper value and the required infrastructure is in place.”
MAN boss expresses doubts about H
And as talked about above, Vlaskamp just isn’t alone. MAN board member for analysis and improvement Frederik Zohm stated the corporate is the one saying hydrogen nonetheless has years to go. “(MAN) continues to analysis gasoline cell expertise based mostly on battery electrics,” he stated. in an announcement quoted by Hydrogen Perceptionearlier than one other board member added: “We (MAN) assume that sooner or later We will optimally cowl the overwhelming majority of our clients’ transport functions with battery-electric vans.”
As for the hydrogen vans themselves, the H2 inside combustion engine seems to be the main focus of MAN’s hydrogen product roadmap, with the corporate’s beforehand introduced plans to place its FCEV semi-truck into restricted manufacturing in 2025 apparently pushed again to make room.
The vans, often called MAN gTGX, are outfitted with a 56 kg tank which, in line with the corporate, might be full of hydrogen compressed to 700 bar in quarter-hour. And the exhaust emissions quantity to lower than 1 kg of CO2 per km, the truck is assessed as a “zero-emissions car” in line with EU street site visitors laws.
MAN says its H2 combustion engine will ship a large 1800+ lb-ft. Torque (2500 Nm), sufficient to haul greater than 220,000 kilos. (100 tons) payload.
Electrek’s take
The entire thing is unusual, is not it? Introduce RAM Vans announce a brand new diesel pickup and together with quotes from a number of executives about how the expertise is a step or two behind electrical vans ford And Tesla. It will be weird.
Nevertheless, the message right here appears to be: If Europe desires to proceed spending cash on hydrogen vans, MAN will likely be pleased to simply accept it. No less than that is what I perceive – what about you? Scroll all the way down to the feedback and tell us.
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