Automotive Engineering - April 2023 - 42

Q&
A
Making H2 fuel cells happen
Over a 23-year career, Rob Del Core has led more than 20
programs related to zero-emissions vehicles and subsystems,
most of them related to developing hydrogen fuel-cell power,
at companies including Hyzon Motors, Hydrogenics USA
(Cummins), and Ricardo. Now general manager at Symbio,
the Faurecia-Michelin joint venture aimed at fuel-cell stack
and systems development, Del Core's work continues amid
accelerating global activities in H2FC power. He was interviewed
recently by Editor-in-chief Lindsay Brooke. Highlights
from that conversation follow.
There seems to be a growing acknowledgement
of the limitations of huge lithium
batteries for large commercial vehicles
and their duty cycles, and that hydrogen
fuel cells are a better candidate to
augment and eventually replace diesels.
Where we see the value for customers is
in TCO, total cost of ownership, and being
able to support fleet operations.
Commercial vehicles are high-utilization,
operating in very demanding environments
on long shifts. And consuming a
lot of hydrogen is important for the hydrogen-generation
side because producers
of hydrogen need that committed
demand to get cost down and make the
TCO work.
Symbio's broad portfolio of fuel-cell
ratings, from 40 kW to 300 kW, fits a lot
of use cases in Class 5-8 trucks. But is
the prospect of light-duty applications
and market still alive?
Light duty is absolutely a key part of our
market. We call our system the fuel-cell
'Stack Pack' - it's a fully integrated system.
It's based on the core technology
we've been developing and validating in
this space with customers such as
Stellantis [which recently became a
Symbio shareholder]. It can be scaled for
larger power applications where needed
- from light-duty pass-car up to heavyduty
commercial. We're looking at all
classes of mobility. We talk to customers
in all segments to learn their needs and
requirements.
How does a Symbio fuel cell stack compare
with state-of-art diesel technology?
We're very competitive with diesel, to the
point where we have a funded project
42 April 2023
Rob Del Core
We're talking about a
system that can cover
over 500 miles' range
on a single fill.
with the California Energy Commission to demonstrate, in 2024,
a Class-8 truck that will showcase Symbio fuel-cell technology.
The goal is to demonstrate weight and performance parity with
diesel, using the existing hydrogen fueling infrastructure. This is
a fuel-cell electric road tractor that will weigh the same as a diesel-powered
tractor, which has a major impact on payload. By
comparison, a battery presents challenges as to what the tractor
can support. Symbio is the technical lead including integration;
the chassis is a Freightliner, provided by Daimler Truck. Michelin,
our other shareholder, is providing the low-rolling-resistance
tires, as well as the telematics system for data collection.
Can you share the stack's overall
efficiency?
We're well over 50 percent at the stack
level. We're talking about a system that
can cover over 500 miles' range on a
single fill. The vehicle will have close to
80 kg of hydrogen storage capacity, using
tank technology from our shareholder
Faurecia.
Will the fuel-cell Freightliner use direct
drive or a gearbox?
It will be a direct-drive configuration.
What are the challenges still facing hydrogen
fuel cells?
Proving out the durability, getting the
tech out there, and earning customer
acceptance. We see no technical hurdles.
Building the fueling infrastructure is happening,
with California leading the way.
Big investments are being made.
How would you characterize supplychain
development for hydrogen fuelcell
systems?
We see a lot of new players entering this
market. Symbio is taking control of the
core technologies to our business, such
as the bipolar plate. We have a 50:50 JV
with Schaeffler Group called Innoplate, a
dedicated venture to produce bipolar
plates for Symbio. It's an example of how
we're taking a critical piece of fuel-cell
supply, integrating into our operations to
be more vertical and to control our cost
of development. There are other examples
but that's a key one. We're always
looking for partnerships in this space
that can be complimentary and result in
more forward motion.
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