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
    • Nissan to pause UK production line due to supply disruption
      VW faces EU fine for missing 2020 emissions targets
      VW brand's Trinity EV flagship will have three key innovations
      Lotus could share with other automakers EV platform developed with Renault's Alpine
    • Nissan to pause UK production line due to supply disruption
      VW brand's Trinity EV flagship will have three key innovations
      Lotus could share with other automakers EV platform developed with Renault's Alpine
      Alfa Romeo starts life in Stellantis with a promise of growth
    • Suppliers to the new Audi A3
      Suppliers to the new Toyota Supra
      Thyssenkrupp weighs steel-unit spinoff as alternative to sale
      How Marelli aims to become a 'Tier 0.5' supplier
    • VW brand's Trinity EV flagship will have three key innovations
      Decision to build Renault 5 EV in France boosts French workers
      Citroen turns to SUV cues for new C4 compact
      Skoda adds hybrid to strong-selling Octavia RS family
    • UK's plan to ban combustion cars threatens Astra factory
      Mercedes badge_1.jpg
      Mercedes meets European CO2 target with late-year surge in EV sales
      EV-only future looks closer than ever in Europe
      VW to link bonuses to social targets
    • Europe sales fell 4% in December; 2020 worst year on record
      Stellantis seeks new joint venture in China, reports say
      Russia car sales forecast to rise 2.1% in 2021
      FCA-PSA merger adds uncertainty to Peugeot's return to U.S., brand chief says
    • PSA veteran Norman will head Opel sales and marketing
      Alfa Romeo starts life in Stellantis with a promise of growth
      Volvo purchasing boss who led sustainability push resigns
      Vauxhall's new boss is former VW, Nissan executive Willcox
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Frankfurt Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Latest Launches
    • Analyst's View
    • Segment Analysis
    • Europe By The Numbers
    • EV-only future looks closer than ever in Europe
      European car retailing poised for shake-up as 'agency' model gains support
      How Europe will become an EV battery powerhouse
      VW, Ford stumbles force rethink of how to best use social media
    • Nvidia CEO says software will soon define the car, drive profit
      Tavares: Keeping PSA, FCA merger on track an 'incredible' achievement
      Renault CEO outlines ambitious revival plan
      Why Rolls-Royce boss expects to be profitable despite COVID
    • Marelli CEO expects e-powertrains to provide long-term boost
      Veoneer boss expects to reach key milestone this quarter
      How Faurecia aims to become a hydrogen leader
      How Yanfeng gave the car interior a brain
    • Arrival Van.jpg
      How Arrival intends to disrupt the delivery van market
      Polestar 2's performance, convenience offset range anxiety
      Chinese EV maker Xpeng outlines Europe rollout plan
      Nio ET7-MAIN.jpg
      Nio debuts first electric sedan
    • Fiat aims high-riding Tipo Cross at frugal adventure lovers
      Citroen turns to SUV cues for new C4 compact
      BENTAYGAHYBRID-MAIN_i.jpg
      Bentley freshens Bentayga Hybrid
      BMW 4-Series Coupe breaks free from sedan sibling
    • Pandemic forces automakers to focus on brand, conserve cash
      Why prospects for dealer mergers have improved
      Dacia-level price discipline needed to end margin slump in Europe, expert says
      How infotainment systems are taking over the vehicle cockpit
    • Wagons hold market share, but costly EV shift looms
      Electrification gains speed in Europe's key compact segment
      Hybrids beat the market; sales expected to top 1 million in 2022
      Plug-in hybrids set for rapid rise but trouble looms
    • Europe sales fell 4% in December; 2020 worst year on record
      Russia car sales forecast to rise 2.1% in 2021
      France overtakes UK as Europe's No. 2 market
      Europe sales by model, Nov. and 11 months: Audi A3, Jeep Compass rise; Toyota Yaris surprises
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
    • Renault, Ford, Honda look to the past for EV inspiration
      Polestar 2's performance, convenience offset range anxiety
      Bosch, Continental battle to supply the brain of the connected car
      Why the ID5 is VW's true rival to the Tesla Model Y
    • Understanding the impact of design on marketing, brand and user experience
      Ex-Aston Martin CEO Palmer calls on UK to intensify battery commitment
      Why Apple must target the $230B luxury car market
      Apple car: Who will build it? Magna Steyr possible candidate
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • view gallery
      15 photos
      Mercedes-Benz EQA compact crossover
      view gallery
      8 photos
      Dacia Bigster
      view gallery
      8 photos
      Renault 5 concept
      view gallery
      15 photos
      Toyota Mirai 2021
    • koenigsegg-gemera-front-quarter-passenger-01.jpg
      view gallery
      14 photos
      Koenigsegg Gemera
      view gallery
      21 photos
      Fiat New 500
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Aston Martin V12 Speedster
      view gallery
      13 photos
      Audi A3 Sportback 2020
    • At the Beijing show, sales rebound and EV boom mix with murky outlook
      3BEIJING-MAIN_i.jpg
      Beijing show to highlight competition for local EV makers
      Beijing auto show delayed due to coronavirus
      Maserati will unveil Ghibli hybrid at Beijing show
    • view gallery
      11 photos
      Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS
      view gallery
      11 photos
      Renault Captur
      view gallery
      5 photos
      Mercedes-Benz AMG GLB 53
      view gallery
      10 photos
      Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe
    • view gallery
      8 photos
      VinFast Lux A2.0 sedan
      view gallery
      8 photos
      VinFast Lux SA2.0 SUV
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Seat Tarraco
      view gallery
      7 photos
      Toyota Corolla station wagon
    • view gallery
      4 photos
      Nio ET Preview
      view gallery
      7 photos
      Infiniti Qs Inspiration concept
      view gallery
      5 photos
      BMW 3-series LWB
      view gallery
      9 photos
      Mini Clubman
  • Maps
    • E-Car & Component Map of Europe
    • Powertrain Map of Europe
    • Assembly Plant Map of Europe
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress Conversations
    • ANE Shift
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
    • ANE Leading Women
    • Watch Again
      • July 9: EU green deal in the COVID-19 new normal
      • July 16: Assisted or Autonomous Driving
      • July 23: Challenges in Electrification
      • July 30: The Road Ahead for Europe
    • Meet the 2020 winners
    • Watch the 2020 Rising Stars awards again
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Blogs
November 26, 2020 11:12 AM

How to break through the fuel cell cost barrier

Peter Sigal
Peter Sigal
News Editor of Automotive News Europe
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    The Toyota Mirai is one of a handful of hydrogen-fuel cell passenger cars on the market.

    Hydrogen-fuel cell technology has been touted as a best-of-both-worlds mobility solution, combining the short fill-up time and longer range of an internal-combustion engine with zero CO2 emissions. 

    But it’s been slow to catch on, and the cost of the components is a significant barrier.

    Plastic Omnium, which is pursuing a comprehensive fuel-cell strategy that it hopes will pay off with 3 billion euros ($3.6 billion) in revenues by 2030, explained how it will tackle those costs in an online event.

    CEO Laurent Favre said Plastic Omnium’s ultimate goal is for the fuel cell system to cost a total of around 8,000 euros, which would compare favorably to batteries. (Both systems still require electric motors.)

    Start with the fuel tank. To fit a usable amount of hydrogen, the lightest gas on earth, in a relatively small tank, it needs to be stored under extremely high pressures, generally 700 bars – or 700 times atmospheric pressure. Hydrogen tanks start out with a plastic core, then are wound with filaments of expensive carbon fiber. 

    A semi-truck that could run on hydrogen would need about seven of these tanks, which can each provide 100 km (62 miles) of effective range. Passenger cars, with their lighter weight, can get by with one. 

    Each tank now costs about 2,600 euros, a figure that Plastic Omnium wants to bring down to about 2,000 euros – by substituting another process for filament winding, by possibly eliminating the plastic inner core, or even by finding a way to deliver hydrogen under lower pressure.

    Put another way, said Marc Perraudin, CEO of Plastic Omnium’s New Energies division, it costs about 500 euros now to store a kilogram of hydrogen. “Down the road, by 2030, we’d like to decrease this to 350 euros,” he said. “That’s the competitive level to reach the global market.”

    But that might be the easy part compared with the fuel-cell stack and associated components. Plastic Omnium is aiming for a total cost of 4,000 euros to 6,000 euros for these parts. 

    One sticking point is the two precious metals used in the cells, platinum (as a catalyst to set off crucial hydrogen and oxygen reactions) and gold (used as a conductor). Alternative metals could lower this cost.

    Perraudin said fuel-cell costs are now 300 euros per kilowatt of power, a figure that needs to come down to 50 euros in a decade to be competitive.  

    The rest of the system is relatively straightforward, with most components able to be adopted from existing uses in battery-electric or internal-combustion drivetrains. 

    FOCUS ON ELECTRIFICATION NEWSLETTER: A monthly wrap-up of the latest electric vehicle news, including interviews and global EV sales data, delivered to your inbox.
    Scaling up

    Scale will also be a lever to reduce cost. By 2030, Favre and Plastic Omnium’s top executives say, there will be 2 million fuel cell vehicles on the road, 1.5 million of them passenger cars and the rest commercial vehicles. There are also huge potential markets in rail transport and off-road uses.

    At that point, Plastic Omnium expects to have 15 production lines devoted to fuel cell and hydrogen storage products. 

    Plastic Omnium executives are confident in their projections for hydrogen. Right now, the business is still in investment mode, Favre said, but he expects it to break even and generate positive free cash flow by 2025, with “double digit” margins by 2030. 

    The supplier plans to invest 100 million euros a year to develop, commercialize and industrialize the technology, on top of 200 million euros total in the last five years. Earlier this year it created a separate fuel cell focused joint venture with ElringKlinger.

    Nonetheless, if hydrogen remains an unprofitable niche, Plastic Omnium still has solid order books in its core businesses such as front-end modules, bumpers and conventional fuel systems to fall back on. 

    Said Favre: “We aren’t betting everything on hydrogen.”

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Renault, Ford, Honda look to the past for EV inspiration
    Recommended for You
    Renault, Ford, Honda look to the past for EV inspiration
    Renault, Ford, Honda look to the past for EV inspiration
    Polestar 2's performance, convenience offset range anxiety
    Polestar 2's performance, convenience offset range anxiety
    Bosch, Continental battle to supply the brain of the connected car
    Bosch, Continental battle to supply the brain of the connected car
    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
    • 2020 Media Kit
    • 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 © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Frankfurt Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Latest Launches
      • Analyst's View
      • Segment Analysis
      • 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
    • Maps
      • E-Car & Component Map of Europe
      • Powertrain Map of Europe
      • Assembly Plant Map of Europe
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress Conversations
        • Watch Again
          • July 9: EU green deal in the COVID-19 new normal
          • July 16: Assisted or Autonomous Driving
          • July 23: Challenges in Electrification
          • July 30: The Road Ahead for Europe
      • ANE Shift
      • ANE Rising Stars
        • Meet the 2020 winners
        • Watch the 2020 Rising Stars awards again
      • ANE Eurostars
      • ANE Leading Women
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us