Automotive Engineering - March 2025 - 23

COVER STORY
Koji Sato, president of Toyota
Motor Corp. and Olliver Zipse,
chairman of the board of
management at BMW AG., at
their fall announcement of the
next stage of their hydrogen
fuel-cell vehicle partnership.
the introduction of the Initium concept last fall. The
Intium is a rugged CUV that previews a production
fuel-cell EV slated for release in the first half of 2025.
Hyundai is in the H2 game beyond automobiles, and is
working on hydrogen-powered trains, air mobility
projects and even ships, which offer a massive opportunity
to reduce emissions, because bunker-fuel-burning
container ships are prolific polluters. A widely stated
example is that one large container ship at sea
emits the same amount of sulfur oxide gases as 50
million diesel-burning cars.
And Hyundai also knows that building a hydrogen
supply chain is important to whether the technology
will thrive or not. Hyundai Motor Group is working on
fuel stacks, tanks and vehicles, and H2 production.
During a recent briefing, the company said it is completing
a feasibility study this year on producing
24,000 tons of hydrogen from 130,000 tons of plastic
waste, for example. (See February's Automotive
Engineering for details.)
Switching it up a bit, UK-based NamX, which debuted
a hydrogen fuel-cell concept in 2022 and had been developing
that, is following through on its surprise switch
to powering the HUV (for hydrogen utility vehicle) hydrogen-fueled
V8 internal combustion engine.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
In going the internal-combustion route, NamX said the benefit to
consumers will be reduced acquisition and operational costs due to
the rare earth metals needed for fuel-cell BEVs but not needed for IC
hydrogen vehicles. Fuel costs are also lower. " Hydrogen combustion
engines also boast higher robustness and versatility compared to fuel
cells, as they eliminate the need for high-purity H2, which entails regular
replacement of air and hydrogen filters and can accommodate
lower-quality, cheaper hydrogen, " the company said in a statement.
That versatility is why many makers of heavy-duty vehicles for offhighway
use (agriculture and construction) are exploring hydrogen
IC engines. It's a familiar powertrain that still results in deep cuts in
CO2 output. That's a big deal in the EU, which is calling for a 90%
reduction in CO2 emissions by 2040.
Planes
The general public tends to be pretty wowed when they hear mention
of a future that undoubtedly will include electric aircraft. But
there is tremendous investment in the sector, including battery-powered
air taxis that look more like jumbo drones. And hydrogen is
playing a factor in projects larger than that. Hollister, California-based
ZeroAvia has come a long way since its 2017 founding.
In January, the company announced it reached an agreement with
the FAA on the standards it will have to meet to have its 600kW
electric propulsion system certified as airworthy. The system is part
March 2025 23
BMW
Automotive Engineering - March 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - March 2025
