From the 5th to the 7th of October, the world's largest trade fair for Mobility 4.0 - the eMove360° Europe - will take place in Berlin. Developers, designers, IT experts as well as buyers and users from all over the world will come together here to exchange ideas about future-oriented and sustainable mobility solutions. Westport Fuel Systems from Eindhoven in the Netherlands will also be taking part in the eMove360° Europe.
The Canadian group took over the Dutch company Prins in 2014. Many German drivers are probably familiar with Prins in connection to liquid gas systems for passenger cars, because Prins has been the market leader in this area for many years. The company has built up extensive expertise in gas drives in the passenger and commercial vehicle segment, which is used by Westport Fuel Systems in the heavy-duty sector - trucks and machinery.
Achieving Zero Emission
One of Westport Fuel Systems' goals, says Westport Fuel Systems Technical Director Bas ten Broeke, is to tackle the climate issues we face. The company has been working on this since it was founded. The focus is on the European climate protection targets with zero emissions. The challenges to achieve these goals are huge. Vehicle technology and infrastructure are essential areas when tackling the problem of emissions.
The essential drive technologies are combustion engines, electric motors or fuel cells. "Each technology has its place and its time," says Bas ten Broeke. "What is relevant and, above all, feasible in the next 20 years?" Basically, it is about the timing of different factors: the availability and affordability of technology as well as the existence of the infrastructure.
Tractor-trailer with HPDi technology
Long distance is the challenge
Technology in the passenger car sector is slowly evolving. The number of electric cars - both hybrid and all-electric - is increasing and some hydrogen models are on the market. As the number of electric cars has increased, the charging infrastructure has also developed and the number of hydrogen filling stations has also slowly increased.
A large number of electric commercial vehicles are in use for short-distance and urban transport. Long-haul trucking, however, remains a challenge, as the requirements here are considerably higher. The major manufacturers are working at full speed on tractors and storage solutions. The big problem here is the infrastructure, which takes time to develop and is associated with considerable costs.
Solution for the future
According to Ten Broeke, the development of technology and infrastructure is basically a chicken-and-egg problem. At a certain point, technology requires an existing infrastructure, which in turn is mainly developed when there are many users of this technology. Westport Fuel Systems is therefore pursuing a two-step approach that is efficient and, above all, quick to implement.
The first step is to convert existing diesel fleets to a hybrid system. Euro 6 diesel is already very clean and if 30-50% of diesel is replaced with hydrogen, CO2 savings of 50% can be achieved. This step can be implemented quickly because the system is available and, above all, converting the vehicles is inexpensive. At the same time, the increased demand for hydrogen creates impulses to expand the infrastructure for hydrogen.
The second step is then the complete switch to hydrogen, which can be used in diesel engines with the help of HPDI technology. This technology, which is not yet available in Germany, has been developed by Westport Fuel Systems in Canada. Within four to five years, this technology could also be introduced to the German market. The system is based on proven technology and can achieve higher efficiency than a fuel cell, says Bas ten Broeke.
Cost-effective and fast
The purchase of new electric vehicles involves considerable investment and the range problem in long-distance traffic is far from being solved. Therefore, the alternative of converting the existing fleet first to a dual system and later to an HPDI system is much more cost-effective. Moreover, fuel cells require very pure hydrogen, while the dual engine can also use less pure hydrogen.
Westport Fuel Systems wants to present this system at the eMove360° Europe in Berlin and engage in discussions with transport companies, fleet managers, manufacturers, authorities and politicians. The public discussion is currently mainly about electric, hydrogen and eFuels, but there are extremely interesting alternatives to achieve zero emissions.
Westport Fuel Systems is supported by BOM, the Brabant Economic Development Corporation. The tasks of the regional economic development agency include investment, innovation and internationalisation. The BOM International Trade team supports Brabant companies in entering the German market by establishing contacts with German companies, partner organisations and authorities.
Source: Niederlande Nachrichten
