Although Audi plans for a slew of new electric cars,
fuel-cell technology is far from dead at the German luxury brand.
According to an Autocar report
on Friday, Audi has serious concerns about sourcing battery materials for
electric cars responsibly and meeting customer demands for range and charging.
That has led Audi to spearhead hydrogen fuel-cell development once again. Per
the report, Audi will resume development under its h-tron program and Audi will
be the source of any major breakthroughs within VW Group.
Audi Chairman Bram Schot said the goal is to speed up
development for fuel cell vehicles, which have largely taken a backseat to
electric cars in recent years. Toyota and Hyundai are
two players with production fuel cell vehicles that are either on sale (Toyota)
or prepping for sale (Hyundai) in select markets. General Motors also teased
plans for a hydrogen fuel
cell pickup truck for U.S. Army use and partnered with Honda for
future fuel cell research and production.
Schot also confirmed the brand will debut new fuel cell
prototype car later this year, and said a limited-run fuel cell vehicle could
be offered via a lease program no later than 2021. Audi isn't taking an official
position, but Schot thinks FCVs can enter volume production in the second half
of the next decade.
Any new fuel cell technology won't be exclusive to Audi,
however. The German luxury brand partnered
with Hyundai last June to cross-license the technology for future
vehicles. The terms of the partnership call for both companies to share
expertise and patents. Eventually, the two want to bring production fuel cell
vehicles to market quicker. Audi has shown two fuel cell concepts in the past:
the A7
h-tron and the h-tron
crossover concept. However, both never materialized as Audi poured more
resources into its electric car portfolio.
Audi's concerns over material sourcing may be valid. As more
automakers make the switch to zero-emission cars, raw materials for batteries
will become that much more important. Hydrogen fuel cells, on the other hand,
could be more sustainable. Fuel cell refueling times are similar to
gasoline-powered vehicle, though hydrogen infrastructure remains a major
hurdle.
by Sean Szymkowski
http://www.boscheuropean.com
No comments:
Post a Comment