MTU Aero Engines and DLR intend to flight test a hydrogen-powered version of the Dornier Do228 aircraft. (Photo: MTU)
MTU Aero Engines has joined forces with the DLR German Aerospace Center to jointly develop and validate a new hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system that they believe could eventually power aircraft as large as the ubiquitous Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 narrowbody airliners. On August 5, the partners signed a memorandum of understanding that will lead to them developing an initial system to be tested on a Dornier Do228 turboprop twin.
Their combined engineering team will equip an existing Do228 with a hydrogen fuel cell and a 500-kW electric propeller engine on one side of its wing, while the other will carry the aircraft's original Honeywell TPE331 turboprop engine. The partners said they are aiming to achieve first flight of this new technology demonstrator in 2026.
DLR—the government-backed Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt—will manage the flight-test program and is also responsible for the integration and certification of the new propulsion system. The agency already has secured some financial support for the program from Bavarian state authorities.
MTU Aero Engines is Germany’s leading aircraft engine manufacturer. The Munich-based company has a long track record in developing low-pressure turbines, high-pressure compressors, and turbine center frames for a variety of turboprop, turbofan, and turboshaft powerplants.
Project Zeus could see a hydrogen-fuelled Range Rover make production later this decade
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is embarking on a serious hydrogen power research project with the aim of developing fuel cell-powered versions of its larger vehicles.
Should the research effort – which is known as Project Zeus – prove successful, the fuel cell technology would most likely be ready for production use around the time of the next-generation Range Rover Evoque’s arrival in the middle of the 2020s and then be used for zero-emissions versions of larger models in the future.
Project Zeus was described by JLR product engineering chief Nick Rogers in a recent online event as “really, really important”. He added that the company will soon reveal a driveable hydrogen fuel cell concept car.
Hydrogen power could also be a strong option in regions and countries with limited BEV charging infrastructures where rugged off-roaders are popular.
While Jaguar could also use the technology for its future models, possibly including the next-generation F-Pace SUV, it’s likely to focus on battery-electric propulsion, given its cars’ generally smaller size and greater road bias than Land Rovers.
Notably, JLR’s plans are similar to those of BMW, which is planning to put an X5-based i Hydrogen Next SUV (which would rival JLR’s Evoque-sized hydrogen model) into limited production in 2022, with plans to follow it with larger hydrogen models based on the X6 and X7.
The timeframe for the start of the proposed UK ban on new ICE car sales, and similar plans in other countries, means JLR has no choice but to start now on a new zero-emissions strategy. This is particularly key for JLR, because most of its output is larger, heavier luxury vehicles, which are challenging to reinvent as battery-electric vehicles, given their weight and longer range requirements.
Rogers said: “Hydrogen is an ideal application for the bigger vehicles [in our line-up], because the bigger the car, you get diminishing returns [when using] battery packs. The amount of energy you can store in a battery for a given amount of weight means you’re in a position where you’re making the cars that are so heavy, they’re using [a lot] of energy just to cart that heavy weight about.”
Project Zeus was revealed earlier this year, when the government announced that it would invest £73 million in ‘seeding’ various automotive projects to reduce CO2 emissions. JLR will work with Delta Motorsport, Marelli Automotive Systems and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre on its hydrogen project.
According to the Advanced Propulsion Centre, which issued the funding, the JLR-led project “will deliver a zero-tailpipe-emissions premium fuel cell SUV concept with Jaguar Land Rover attributes, such as long range, quick refill, towing, off-road capabilities and low-temperature performance”.
JLR hired Ralph Clague as its new hydrogen and fuel cells chief in March 2019. Clague had been director of fuel cell research and development at Chinese manufacturer Great Wall since 2016. Autocar also understands that JLR was trying to recruit more hydrogen engineers early this year.
JLR’s entry into hydrogen research comes as there’s a huge resurgence of interest and investment in the fuel, with numerous projects to manufacture ‘green’ hydrogen being announced across Europe in the past few months.
The government recently established the Hydrogen Advisory Council “to inform the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier for the UK”.
Much of the world’s hydrogen production is currently achieved by extracting it from natural gas, a process known as reforming. This can’t be regarded as ‘zero-carbon’, because the hydrogen comes from fossil fuels.
However, hydrogen can also be created by using renewable electricity (from wind turbines, for example) to ‘crack’ seawater into hydrogen and oxygen through a process called electrolysis.
According to recent research by forecasting specialist IHS Markit, “costs for producing green hydrogen have fallen by 50% since 2015 and could be reduced by an additional 30% by 2025, due to the benefits of increased scale and more standardised manufacturing, among other factors”.
IHS Markit also noted that investment in hydrogen cracking is set to expand massively over the next few years, saying: “Economies of scale are a primary driver for green hydrogen’s growing cost competitiveness. The average size for ‘power-to-x’ projects scheduled for 2023 is 100MW – 10 times the capacity of the largest project in operation today.”
Despite all the faith laid in the improvement in EV battery power and storage, there has been a rapid shift in thinking across European governments.
Tesla Model 3 Is The Top-Selling EV In South Korea
Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel cell model would be third, if we compared it with plug-ins.
South Korea noted a slight 7% increase in plug-in electric car sales during the first seven months of this year, to 22,054, achieving an average market share of 2%.
According to the latest EV Sales Blog's report, Tesla Model 3 remains the best-selling electric car in the country, noticeably exceeding the locally manufactured models, although its share in the EV segment deteriorated from a dominant 45% to (still very high) 31% (at least partially because of the limited supplies, we guess).
In total, some 6,888 Model 3 were registered, compared to 5,120 Hyundai Kona Electric and 2,315 Kia Niro EV (e-Niro). The Chevrolet Bolt EV noted 1,357 units. Relatively strong was also the plug-in hybrid BMW 530e with 1,168 units.
Hyundai NEXO
The specific of the South Korean market is high sales of hydrogen fuel cell cars, or rather high sales of the only available volume model - Hyundai NEXO. It noted 3,312 sales, which would place it in third place, if we counted it together with plug-ins. The market share is 0.31%, which also is hard to find anywhere else.
The obvious reason behind the relatively high position of NEXO must be government incentives and Hyundai's push to FCVs. We will wait and see how it develops.
Despite the financial hardships that continue to plague Jaguar Land Rover, the UK-based automaker is continuing to push forward with a bold research project. Dubbed Project Zeus, JLR is working towards having fuel-cell hydrogen technology as a second type of zero-emissions powertrain alongside battery electrics. At present, the goal is to have the fuel cell tech ready to go by the middle of this decade because it'd be an ideal fit for larger vehicles, specifically SUVs. The only electric vehicle in the entire JLR lineup is the Jaguar I-Pace and this will change upon arrival of the next-generation XJ flagship sedan, due sometime in 2021.
Despite its push battery tech push, JLR doesn't appear to think it's suitable for one of its best-sellers, the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Conveniently enough, the next-generation Evoque is scheduled to arrive at around the same time Project Zeus is ready.
According to Autocar, the Evoque could be the first vehicle in the lineup to have a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain. Before that happens, it appears JLR will reveal a fully driveable fuel cell concept vehicle in the coming months. But why does Land Rover seem to prefer hydrogen power over battery electrics? The answer is because hydrogen could be a better fit for SUV customers who like to go off-roading in backcountry regions where there's limited BEV charging stations.
"Hydrogen is an ideal application for the bigger vehicles [in our line-up], because the bigger the car, you get diminishing returns [when using] battery packs," said JLR product engineering chief Nick Rogers. "The amount of energy you can store in a battery for a given amount of weight means you're in a position where you're making the cars that are so heavy, they're using [a lot] of energy just to cart that heavyweight about."
Jaguar, on the other hand, is more likely to continue pursuing BEVs because buyers of its smaller cars are far more likely to remain on the pavement. Eventually, future generations of the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Velar could also adapt hydrogen power as a replacement for diesel powertrains. Not surprisingly, JLR isn't the first mainstream automaker to see the benefits of hydrogen for big SUVs.
BMW is also reportedly at work on an X5-based i Hydrogen Next SUV that could reach production by 2022. Hydrogen SUVs based on the X6 and X7 are also distinct possibilities. Assuming everything goes as planned, the next Evoque could be a significant game-changer for JLR and the luxury SUV segment as a whole. It'd be just the thing to help JLR get back on track.
