Germany aims to revolutionize the hydrogen vehicle market

More and more vehicle manufacturers are developing engines powered by hydrogen. One car company, a German company called Deutz AG stands out and is revolutionizing the market. What is the company's idea and what is the future of hydrogen cars?

Toyota, Hyundai, BMW, Stellantis (Peugeot, Citroën, Opel) - many large automobile manufacturers are already engaged in the construction of hydrogen cars.

According to Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW), a fuel cell is responsible for generating energy in hydrogen cars. In this fuel cell, hydrogen is converted into oxygen via a chemical process. This process generates energy, which is available as electricity and drives the vehicle's electric motor.

Critics see a lower level of efficiency, high costs for the infrastructure (including filling stations) and higher procurement and maintenance costs compared to electric cars as the main problems with hydrogen cars.

Hydrogen as a fuel does not generally have a good reputation because it is highly flammable. According to the weekly German magazine Stern, it is therefore necessary and at the same time expensive to build safe tanks for the fuel.

One of the biggest problems for hydrogen car drivers is the filling station infrastructure. According to Statista, in 2022 there were 95 hydrogen filling stations in Germany, around five in Austria and around eleven in Switzerland. With this figure, Germany is a global pioneer when it comes to hydrogen filling stations.

On January 11th of this year, Volker Wissing (FDP), the German Federal Minister for Digitization and Transport, inaugurated a new hydrogen filling station on Tempelhofer Weg in Berlin-Neukölln.

A kilogram (2.2lbs) of hydrogen costs about 13 euros ($13) and a tank holds an average of four to five kilograms (8.8-11lbs). With the hydrogen cars currently available on the market, a distance of 400 to 500 km (248-310 miles) can be covered, according the website EFahrer.com reports.

According to the German Federal Environment Agency, fewer than 1,000 hydrogen cars have been registered in the last ten years. In contrast, there were 395,000 new registrations of electric cars in Germany in 2020.

The Deutz company based in Cologne has now developed a new hydrogen engine, with which hydrogen cars could become serious competition for electric cars in the future.

The revolution: The hydrogen engine from Deutz does not have a fuel cell or battery, but burns the fuel directly.

The technical director of Deutz AG, Dr. Markus Müller says: “The six-cylinder TCG 7.8 H2 is based on an existing engine concept. It not only runs CO2 neutral but also very quietly and already delivers 200kW of power. In principle, the engine is suitable for all current applications, but due to the available infrastructure, it will initially be used in the areas of stationary systems and generators as well as rail transport.”

The Deutz company is already planning series production of the hydrogen engine from 2024, initially for agricultural vehicles. The company itself specializes in the manufacture of commercial and agricultural vehicles.

Deutz is currently running a pilot project with the regional energy supply company RheinEnergie, in which the hydrogen engine is used in a stationary power generation system.

Frank Hiller, former CEO of Deutz AG, already said in 2021: "We are already building very efficient and clean engines today. Now we are taking the next step, our hydrogen engine is ready for the market. An important milestone for us to make our contribution as a company to achieving the Paris climate goals."

Deutz AG is currently not planning to implement the hydrogen engine in the automotive industry. The reason for this is the lack of hydrogen infrastructure, especially with regard to filling stations.

However, if the hydrogen infrastructure improves in the future, this new hydrogen engine could also bring about change in the automotive market. The national hydrogen strategy, which the German federal government adopted in June 2020, aims to "make Germany a global pioneer in green hydrogen and to achieve and secure market leadership in hydrogen technologies in the long term."

Automobile manufacturers who produce hydrogen vehicles with traditional fuel cells are also constantly developing their technology. The first hydrogen truck as a production vehicle from Hyundai, the Hyundai Xcient Fuel Cell, has been driving on German roads since September last year. The giant has seven tanks for 31 kg (68lbs) of hydrogen and a buffer battery with 72 kWh. The truck should be able to drive 400 km (248 miles) on one tankful.