Battery-powered drivetrains are the most advanced and widely used in today’s society. They offer the promise of zero emissions (to some extent, but more on that later), they have become more affordable and diverse, allowing more people to own them, and the fear of running out of power while driving seems to have disappeared.
However, BEVs do have their drawbacks. The biggest issue is that even though they themselves are clean, electric drivetrains require electricity that we generate through methods that are not entirely clean (although efforts are being made to improve this with the use of clean energy generation, progress is not fast enough).
The most common problem is the time it takes to charge a battery. Although charging times have significantly decreased compared to the past, they are still relatively long for most people, especially when compared to the time it takes to refuel a traditional gasoline-powered car.
There is an alternative solution that could have addressed both the electricity generation problem and the charging time issues: hydrogen. This solution is currently being adopted on a small scale by car manufacturers, but it has the potential to save us a lot of trouble in the future.
Hydrogen is a clean source of energy, similar to electricity, but unlike ions, it can be quickly loaded into a tank. Just a small amount of hydrogen (one kilo) could provide a range of 62 miles, and the only byproduct of its use is water.
Despite these advantages, hydrogen is still not being taken seriously on a global scale. In the automotive industry, hydrogen is only commercially used in two vehicles, the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo, and there are not many other designs in development that utilize hydrogen.
The European Union, however, recognizes the benefits of hydrogen and has made it a key component of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The EU calls on member states and the companies within them to increasingly use hydrogen for transportation needs in the coming decade.
With this in mind, let’s move on to today’s story. It’s not about a hydrogen-powered car, but rather a hydrogen-powered motorcycle, which is something that I must admit I haven’t heard much about before (excluding prototypes).
Technically speaking, designing a hydrogen system for a car is relatively straightforward in terms of space requirements. All you need is enough room for a tank and the fuel cell system that converts hydrogen into electricity.
In a motorcycle, however, things are a bit more challenging. The hydrogen tank itself is not a problem, but finding a way to accommodate the bulky fuel cell system requires innovative thinking. This is likely why we haven’t seen hydrogen motorcycles on the roads yet.
But that might change soon, as some significant entities have joined forces to make hydrogen motorcycles a reality. This collaboration took place in Europe, where companies and research institutions from Germany and the Czech Republic came together in a project called the Hydrocycle.
Image: Kawasaki
I understand your skepticism: isn’t a hydrocycle a bicycle-like contraption designed for water travel? Indeed, it is, and the name may not be the most fitting for a vehicle that doesn’t actually function on water. However, this does not diminish its potential in any way.
The consortium involved in this project consists of Germany’s WätaSwärmetauscher Sachsen GmbH and the Fraunhofer IWU research institute. They will be responsible for the bike’s powertrain, specifically the fuel cell stack and the interface between the vehicle and fuel system.
Joining the project from the Czech Republic are 1to1design, the Czech Technical University, and UJV Rez. They will be responsible for the overall design and functionality of the vehicles, including ergonomics and packaging.
We can expect a working prototype of a hydrogen-powered motorcycle by the end of next year. This prototype will be built to meet the strict European approval standards and certification regulations.
It’s important to note that this bike is specifically targeted towards delivery services in urban areas, so it’s not intended to be a high-performance racing machine.
While this project does not have the backing of major motorcycle manufacturers, it aims to inspire others to explore the possibilities of hydrogen-powered vehicles. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll see hydrogen-powered race bikes too.
We will continue to monitor this development and provide updates as soon as we have more information. Hopefully, we’ll also be able to share actual images of the bike in the near future, and hopefully, it will look as impressive as the rendering featured in this article.