Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
    • Latest news
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • New Product
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Sales By Market
    • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
    • Munich Auto Show
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Focus on Technology
    • Segment Analysis
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Europe By The Numbers
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
  • Podcasts
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Capgemini: All or nothing: Why circular business models require a holistic approach
    • Capgemini: Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
    • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
    • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    • Capgemini: The circular economy is spurring new thinking on EV batteries
    • Capgemini: Toyota and Capgemini leaders on how OEMs can handle industry changes and succeed
    • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
    • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
    • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automotive News Europe
September 18, 2017 01:00 AM

A closer look at Magna's fuel cell and battery electric hybrid engine

Steve Mertl
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Magna first revealed the fuel cell range-extended electric vehicle (FCREEV) in March at the Geneva auto show.

    Magna International's new hydrogen fuel cell and battery-electric hybrid platform is right on trend with the direction fuel cell vehicles are headed, one expert says.

    Renewable-energy consultant Geoff Budd told Automotive News Canada, a sister publication of Automotive News Europe, that other automakers and suppliers increasingly see the fuel cell/battery combination as a way to balance range requirements with speedy refuelling.

    Battery and fuel cell stacks can be sized according to a vehicle's mission, said Budd, whose past work includes fuel cell development with Ballard Power Systems and Daimler. Budd sits on the board of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association.

    Magna Steyr Engineering, a unit of the Canada-based auto-parts giant, created a range extender fuel cell/battery hybrid (FCREEV) at its facility in Graz, Austria. Its partners were fuel cell developer Proton Motor of Germany, two Austria-based research institutes and the Austrian government, which provided funding.

    The vehicle, converted from a conventional range-extender hybrid minivan, can operate in different modes to optimize the system, depending on its state of charge and on the kind of driving.

    Lower size and weight

    Combining two sources of electric power allows the design to reduce the size and weight of the battery and the fuel cell stack, offering both rapid battery recharging and hydrogen refuelling capabilities.

    "We see from this approach that in terms of costs and performance we have key benefits for the end user," Guido Bartlok, Magna Steyr's hydrogen systems manager, told the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Conference in Vancouver in June.

    Magna has developed fuel cell components before, he said, but this was the first time it has integrated such a system into a vehicle.

    The fuel cell range extender vehicle addresses one main criticism of battery EVs as long-range zero-emission vehicles: the lengthy recharge time.

    Other impediments remain: Both recharging and hydrogen refuelling outlets are still sparse, and the vehicles themselves still cost more than their conventional equivalents to own.

    Industry trend

    Budd said Magna’s concept is part of an industry trend away from pure fuel cell propulsion to some combination of fuel cell and battery power.

    Ballard, for example, is in a joint venture with a company in China to produce range-extender fuel cell buses for its domestic market.

    The French company Symbio FCell is testing a Renault Kangoo zero-emission plug-in hybrid commercial van with a range of more than 300 kilometres (180 miles).

    Meanwhile, Daimler plans this year to roll out a Mercedes-Benz GLC fuel cell/ battery plug-in hybrid SUV with a promised range of about 500 kilometres, claiming it will be the first such vehicle in regular production.

    Budd says that other automotive-component suppliers such as Robert Bosch and Siemens are working on fuel cell/battery hybrid systems.

    MERCEDES-BENZ

    Mercedes plans to roll out the GLC fuel cell/ battery plug-in hybrid SUV this year.

    Adjustable Versatility

    Hybrids have important advantages over pure fuel cell platforms, he said. The size of the fuel cell stack, hydrogen storage tank and battery can be varied according to how the vehicle will be used. A vehicle with a lot of downtime that can be plugged in overnight will need a smaller fuel cell for extended range. Those in constant service will benefit from a larger fuel cell unit and quick refuelling, versus charging.

    "It really is an issue of what do you need the vehicle to do," said Budd.

    Batteries also offer efficiency benefits, such as the ability to recover energy through regenerative braking.

    "It really doesn't pay," to use a fuel cell alone, Budd said.

    Bartlok told the conference that besides allowing for faster inter-city trips, Magna's FCREEV could be used in other roles where long range and fast refueling are important, such as for taxi and shuttle services.

    The company has no plans to produce the FCREEV independently, he told Automotive News Canada. 

    "We are just a contract manufacturer," he said. "Our OEMs are our customers, so we'll offer this to [show] our customers that we have the capability and the knowledge to do it."

    Magna Steyr produces about 200,000 vehicles a year at its Steyr assembly plant, making it the world’s biggest unbranded car manufacturer, Bartlok said.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    2022 Eurostar winner Enrico Salvatori of Qualcomm
    Recommended for You
    Enrico Salvatori
    2022 Eurostar winner Enrico Salvatori of Qualcomm
    Christian Dahlheim
    2022 Eurostar winner Christian Dahlheim of VW Financial Services
    Milan Nedeljkovic
    2022 Eurostar winner Milan Nedeljkovic of BMW
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584

    Email Us

    ISSN 2643-6590 (print)
    ISSN 2643-6604 (online)

     

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Europe
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Munich Auto Show
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Focus on Technology
      • Segment Analysis
      • Cars & Concepts
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Europe By The Numbers
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Commentary
      • Guest columnists
    • Photos
      • Photo Galleries
      • Geneva Photo Gallery
      • Beijing Photo Gallery
      • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
      • Paris Photo Gallery
      • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • Podcasts
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress
      • ANE Rising Stars
      • ANE Eurostars
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Capgemini: All or nothing: Why circular business models require a holistic approach
        • Capgemini: Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
        • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
        • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
        • Capgemini: The circular economy is spurring new thinking on EV batteries
        • Capgemini: Toyota and Capgemini leaders on how OEMs can handle industry changes and succeed
        • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
        • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
        • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us