The author As head of the automobile editorial team of Germany s national daily newspaper BILD Zeitung our author Carsten Paulun drove fuel cell prototypes as far back as in the mid 1990s and has been fascinated by the silent zero emissions technology ever since At the moment he s thinking about replacing his oil heater at home by a fuel cell system Where can fuel cells be used as energy sources for propulsion In all areas where battery powered electric drive systems are either not economical or not feasible due to their size or weight and where long ranges with short refueling times are crucial passenger cars trucks aircraft ships and rail vehicles With fuel cells they can also be operated with zero CO2 and other emissions says Professor Dr Ing Tim Hosenfeldt Senior Vice President Innovation and Central Technology at Schaeffl er The high system effi ciency of the fuel cell which clearly exceeds that of internal combustion engines primarily speaks for its use in means of transportation In addition local zero emissions of nitrogen oxide CO2 and fi ne dust particulate speak for this form of propulsion according to the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Where and when will it be used in the future Manufacturers like Nikola USA and Hyundai South Korea are planning to deliver the fi rst truck tractors with fuel cell powertrains in 2020 German railroad operator Deutsche Bahn is currently testing trains with this technology in passenger transportation They re intended to replace conventional diesel locomotives on tracks without overhead wiring In the aviation sector manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing as well as research institutions such as the German Aerospace Center are intensively working on fuel cell aircraft American manufacturer Zerovia is planning to equip at least smaller business aircraft with up to 20 passenger seats and ranges of up to 800 kilometers 500 miles with fuel cell propulsion systems starting in 2022 Already close to production is the push boat Elektra involving a consortium of partners including fuel cell manufacturer Ballard Power Systems Fielding of the boat is scheduled to start in 2020 for hauling goods between Hamburg and Berlin on the rivers Elbe and Havel 67 Here and now

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