News: Schaeffler To Focus On Hydrogen Technology For CVs

Renowned commercial vehicle technology and solutions company, Schaeffler announces that it will now focus on drive systems for commercial vehicles including hydrogen technology, especially for long-haulage applications. The brand has mentioned that it is in the process of developing components for fuel cell systems and laying the groundwork for the mass production of vehicles with integrated hydrogen technology. 

Matthias Zink, CEO of Automotive Technologies at Schaeffler AG, said “Schaeffler sees fuel cells as an important part of the overall mix of drive technologies for commercial vehicles. The company will premiere at the upcoming IAA Transportation show in Hanover with a demonstration vehicle built from the ground up on the basis of an electric van. To this end, Schaeffler has collaborated with REFIRE, a leading global supplier of commercial hydrogen fuel cell technologies.”

As for the vehicle, Zink explained that the vehicle consists of a 3in1 e-axle powered by a fuel cell system. Its electric axle, fuel cell stack, control system, and energy management system were all designed and built by the e-mobility experts at Schaeffler. Schaeffler is presenting the vehicle as an example of optimal interoperability between electric drive, fuel cell, and lithium-ion battery technology. 

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“Initially, fuel cell drives will be used mainly in long-haul commercial vehicles. Vans will benefit from this technology too because they regularly also cover longer distances,” Zink added. 

Further, the company mentioned that the various components and systems that are part of the fuel cells include bipolar plates. The process of manufacturing bipolar plates is completely built on the company’s extensive expertise in multiple manufacturing processes, including cold forming, stamping, joining, and surface treatment.

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 “We are using our high-precision forming and stamping technology and innovative surface coating processes to make ultra-efficient, high-performance bipolar plates,” said Dr. Jochen Schroder, head of Schaeffler’s E-Mobility business division

Furthermore, for studying and verifying the feasibility of manufacturing its bipolar plates on an industrial scale, Schaeffler set up a pilot production plant at the start of 2022. The plant is designed in such a way that it can be used to manufacture bipolar plates in sizes ranging up to the larger 1,800 by 600 mm formats used in electrolyzers.

Thus, this is the latest news regarding Schaeffler and its hydrogen technology. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below. 

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