Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell as range-extender – Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle

A hydrogen fuel cell system generates electric power from hydrogen. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) have much smaller batteries than battery electric vehicles (at least by a factor of 10), as the energy is stored in the hydrogen. By exploiting the higher gravimetric energy density of hydrogen, FCEVs can offer a higher range than BEVs. However, their continuing deployment faces multiple technical and economic challenges, including safety of hydrogen handling (refuelling, residual leakage), on-board hydrogen storage (see the dedicated entry below) and the high cost of the fuel cell stack (the electrochemical reaction inside the stack requires a proton exchange membrane (PEM) coated with a platinum-based catalyst, a costly material) and system. Costs of the fuel cell stack and system are expected to decline significantly with economies of scale.

For FCEVs to be competitive with other powertrain technologies, hydrogen must be delivered to hydrogen refuelling stations at prices that bring per kilometre costs into the same range as conventional ICEs, or of battery electric vehicles powered by grid electricity. This will require further cost reductions in technologies for low- and zero-carbon hydrogen production technologies (e.g. SMR with CCS, renewable electricity generation such as wind and solar coupled to electrolysers), as well as in hydrogen transmission and distribution networks and in hydrogen refueling stations (HRS). PEM fuel cell as range-extender is sized to only provide range extension to the battery electric powertrain.

In the US, USD 30/kW for passenger cars USD 60/kW for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. In Europe, EUR 40/kW for passenger cars and EUR 600 / kW for buses.

Fuel cell manufacturers: Ballard, Symbio (joint venture between Michelin and Faurecia), among others

More targets here: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-hydrogen-review-2021

By 2030:

• 1% Fuel cell truck sales in Europe