European inter-city coach operator Flixbus is to trial hydrogen-fuelled coaches, in collaboration with Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. The firms are currently working out the parameters of the trial, and expect to join forces with a vehicle manufacturer soon.
FlixBus has been clear about the requirements for its vehicles. Performance characteristics such as acceleration should match to those of today’s diesel-powered, long-distance Euro VI coaches. These fuel cell vehicles should cover at least 500 kilometres without refueling. Hydrogen refueling itself should be possible in 20 minutes or less – a time similar to what is required to refill a diesel fuel tank. The proposed hybrid system combines battery and fuel cells, and will be suitable for long-distance bus transportation and heavy commercial vehicle applications. Initially, a representative bus fleet of 30 vehicles will be equipped with the hybrid powertrain to test the performance of the system. The two companies are also aiming for public funding via the German ‘National Innovation Program Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology’.
Claus Möhlenkamp, CEO of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies: “We see the fuel cell in combination with electric batteries as an integral part of the mobility of the future. With FlixBus, we have found a partner for this zero-emission application and are looking forward to working together on this groundbreaking project.”
Fabian Stenger, Managing Director of FlixBus, said: “We want to help shape the future of mobility. The modern FlixBus and FlixTrain fleet is already extremely environmentally friendly. Nevertheless, we are constantly asking ourselves how we can make travel even more sustainable and further reduce CO2 emissions per capita. Following the successful launch of three electric long-distance buses, we now want to develop the first long-distance bus with fuel cell drive together with Freudenberg and set another milestone in the history of mobility.”
