New Industry Products

Ballard Debuts 8th Generation Hydrogen Fuel Cell Module for Heavy Duty Transport

June 10, 2019 by Scott McMahan

Ballard Power Systems debuted and launched the company's 8th generation, high-performance fuel cell module, the FCmove™-HD, at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Stockholm, Sweden. The new fuel cell module is the culmination of product development and field experience based on nearly 14 million kilometers (9 million miles) of vehicle operation.

According to Ballard, the module, the first in its family of FCmove products to be introduced, is compact, robust and offers an impressive reduction in lifecycle cost.

Ballard specifically designed the FCmove to meet the requirements of transit bus operators. For this reason, the module will be used in 1,000 fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) that the newly launched H2Bus Consortium will deploy in Europe.

Future FCmove products will deliver various power outputs to suit a broad range of commercial vehicles such as trucks, coaches, and trains.

Bus powered by hydrogen fuel cells

Randy MacEwen, Ballard President and CEO said, "Today, we see growing global interest in the compelling value proposition uniquely offered by fuel cell electric vehicles in Medium and Heavy Duty transportation applications. With a 35% reduction in lifecycle cost, the FCmove™-HD module represents a major advancement in the cost competitiveness of fuel cell solutions for this market. Today's product unveiling positions Ballard as the market leader in zero-emission PEM fuel cell power solutions for the Heavy Duty Motive market."

Dr. Kevin Colbow, Ballard Chief Technology Officer added, "In designing FCmove™ products, Ballard is prioritizing a reduction in lifecycle cost, while improving product performance. The FCmove™ fuel cell module offers attractive customer value based on high reliability, simplified system integration and optimized operating parameters."

Comparison to Current Heavy-Duty Fuel Cell Modules

A 35% reduction in product lifecycle cost is expected as a result of lower maintenance requirements, improved reliability, and 50% fewer parts.

High Reliability

For the completely integrated system, Ballard designed the module with a new generation of more robust components to improve reliability.

With Ballard's latest FCgen®-LCS fuel cell stack technology, the company offers its most reliable product to date with projected operating lifetimes of greater than 30,000 hours.

Simplified System Integration

The smaller, more powerful fuel cell module improves flexibility in commercial vehicle design. The compact, low-profile design reduces the volume by 40% and weight by 35% is ready for installation in tight spaces.

Freeze Start Capability

FCmove tolerates a wider range of operating conditions, including freeze start with temperatures down to -25⁰C (-13⁰F) without external energy without requiring vehicle plug in or the use of special start procedures.

Higher Temperature Operation

The fuel cell module also allows operation at higher temperatures, thereby permitting a smaller cooling package, and it generates HVAC heating, significantly improving overall fuel economy and vehicle efficiency.

Ballard is showcasing the FCmove product in Stockholm, Sweden at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit ('UITP Summit 2019'), June 10th-12th. The company invites attendees to the product unveiling at stand A3114 on June 11th at 5:30pm CET.

Longtime Ballard customer Solaris Bus & Coach of Poland is the first European transit bus manufacturer to integrate the FCmove HD module into an FCEB. The Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen fuel cell electric bus will also be unveiled and shown at UITP Summit 2019.

Ballard says it will continue supporting the company's existing customers that are using its current generation FCveloCity® fuel cell modules.