CES: Bosch, Hyundai detail hydrogen plans

BOSCH and Hyundai have independently announced further details of their respective hydrogen engine technologies at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

German mobility giant, Bosch, has outlined business plans across various parts of its automotive business, including those for a new hydrogen combustion engine as part of a $US88 billion reorganisation of its Mobility arm.

Bosch Mobility plans to launch its first hydrogen combustion engine this year, the unit expected to share many components with conventional (ICE) diesel engines, requiring less investment and technician retraining than comparable fuel cell electric types.

According to Bosch Mobility Americas president Paul Thomas, the hot hydrogen engine will be almost carbon neutral when powered by green hydrogen.

“If you get into heavy, heavy vehicles that need to pull, you won’t be able to do it just with electrification,” he said.

“You have to have a powertrain that provides similar flexibility as a gasoline engine or diesel engine.”

Mr Thomas said Bosch Mobility has also received its first hydrogen fuel cell stack orders from truck manufacturers in China, Europe and the United States.

The German manufacturer’s shift toward hydrogen follows a jump in hydrogen investment around the world. The United States, for example, is investing $US7 billion in the construction of regional clean hydrogen production hubs, in which Bosch is reported to participate.

“Our goal is to help drive forward the clean-energy economy in North America,” said Bosch North America president, Mike Mansuetti.

“This is an area where we can contribute our expertise in the production and provisioning of hydrogen.”

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group has announced further details of its own wide-ranging strategy for hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilisation to achieve carbon neutrality across numerous affiliated businesses, including steel production.

Speaking at CES, the Group said it is looking to produce hydrogen from animal waste and from plastics as it works to develop lower-cost electrolysers to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen.

The company said it is currently planning the development of a waste-to-hydrogen facility in Indonesia where “resource recirculation” ferments food waste and livestock manure to generate biogas that is in turn treated to capture carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen.

Another method involves melting waste plastics that cannot be recycled, gasifying the molten residue, and removing unnecessary elements to produce hydrogen.

Further, the Group plans to deploy its Xcient heavy-duty fuel-cell trucks in California and around its electric vehicle assembly plant in Georgia. Like Bosch, Hyundai is also set to participate in the US government’s hydrogen hub program for infrastructure development.

“At Hyundai, we believe that science and humanity are two sides of the same coin’ that advanced technology should also make people’s lives better,” said Hyundai Motor Company CEO Jay Chang.