Fuel cells studied for passenger and light commercial vehicles

Denmark-based Blue World Technologies will collaborate with California luxury EV producer Karma Automotive to study the viability of a fuel cell system for a variety of future passenger and light commercial vehicles (LCVs).

Fuel cells enable fast refuelling and extremely long driving ranges, and with zero harmful emissions, Blue World Technologies says.

Its fuel cell system will be integrated with Karma Automotive’s EV architecture and piloted in GS-6 development vehicles for evaluation in the US and Denmark during the next few months.

An EV powered by methanol fuel cells provides the same convenience as fuelling an internal combustion engine (ICE) with gasoline, although this technology has a methanol-reformer to produce hydrogen on board.

Methanol is a hydrogen-carrier commodity fuel already traded worldwide and it can be stored and distributed using existing infrastructure in many countries while methanol can be produced using renewable sources ensuring a CO2 neutral proposition, Blue World Technologies adds.

“We are investing in these types of powertrain technologies now to prepare for an emission-free world by having various extended-range electrification solutions that include hydrogen, ethanol and methanol fuel cells as a propulsion system,” Karma’s chief executive Dr Lance Zhou says.

Blue World Technologies co-founder and chief commercial officer Mads Friis Jensen sees great potential in combining Karma’s hybridisation and powertrain solutions expertise with Blue World Technologies’ flexible fuel cell concept that is suitable for both engine bay or skateboard platform integration.