Iveco presents the E-Way H2 bus with Hyundai fuel cells
The new hydrogen-powered bus is a result of the partnership between bus builder Iveco and carmaker Hyundai, which was launched in spring 2022. First announced in summer 2022, the model joins Iveco’s battery-electric E-Way family, consisting of 9.5, 10.7 and twelve-metre variants. In the BEV segment, Iveco has also announced the Streetway Elec (12-metre city bus), the Crossway LE Elec (12 and 13 metres, city or intercity bus) and an electric minibus based on the Iveco eDaily.
The Iveco E-Way H2 will be equipped with a 310 kW electric motor and a fuel cell system from the Hyundai brand HTWO. The partners do not comment on the performance of the fuel cell. They only say that four tanks with a capacity of 7.8 kg of hydrogen are installed and that “under normal operating conditions” a range of 450 kilometres is possible. A 69 kWh battery pack serves as energy storage. This is also used in the BEV variants of the E-Way. However, depending on the length of the vehicle, five to nine 69 kWh packs are installed.
According to the initiators, the E-Way H2 can be fuelled with hydrogen as well as charged via plug-in battery. “The hybrid mid-power concept developed by Iveco Bus not only optimises the way the vehicle is charged, but also helps the on-board battery and the fuel cell system to achieve maximum efficiency and durability,” they say. The H2 bus will be produced at Iveco Bus’ plants in Annonay, France, and Foggia, Italy. In June 2022, Iveco had announced its intention to resume bus production in Italy in order to assemble battery and fuel cell buses, among other things, in Foggia in the future. However, no data on the timetable has been published yet.
“We are proud to present our hydrogen-powered E-WAY H2. This exciting milestone in our journey towards sustainability is the result of our successful collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company and shows that by combining our strengths we can promote an environmentally friendly passenger transport system that contributes to the fight against climate change and creates a healthier future for generations to come,” expresses Domenico Nucera, President of Iveco’s Bus Business Unit.
“Hyundai has been a pioneer and leader in hydrogen technology for 25 years and is a global leader in hydrogen fuel cell mobility and commercial transportation. We strongly believe that this energy source is one of the fundamental pillars for achieving a sustainable society, and we are pleased to share this vision with our partner Iveco Group,” affirms Ken Ramirez, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Commercial Vehicle & Hydrogen Business at Hyundai Motor Company.
The H2 bus is already the second concrete result of the Italian-Korean cooperation. At the IAA Transportation 2022, the duo already presented a prototype of the Iveco eDaily FCEV. A small series of the Iveco transporter with Hyundai fuel cell is – as of then – to be built by the end of 2023.
The Iveco eDaily FCEV is equipped with a 90 kW fuel cell system from Hyundai, a 140 kW electric drive and a battery pack from FPT Industrial, the powertrain brand of the Iveco Group. Six tanks provide a combined storage capacity of 12 kilograms of hydrogen. The prototype, with a gross vehicle weight of 7.2 tonnes, is said to offer a range of 350 kilometres, a maximum payload of three tonnes and a refuelling time of 15 minutes.
By the way, the licensed use of fuel cell systems is nothing unusual: the Portuguese bus manufacturer CaetanoBus has been using Toyota fuel cells in its H2.CityGold model for years. The cooperation has now gone so far that the vehicles are even delivered with the Toyota logo.
0 Comments