Hydrogen motorcycle project kicks off in Europe

A German-Czech consortium wants to develop a motorbike with a hydrogen fuel cell drive as part of the Hydrocycle project. By the end of 2025, a hydrogen motorbike is to be built as a demonstrator that meets European approval standards and certification regulations.

The hydrogen bike is intended to serve as “inspiration for the mobility of the future”, according to a statement from the Fraunhofer IWU in Chemnitz, which is involved in the project. According to the consortium, it could be of interest to inner-city delivery services and parcel delivery companies.

In terms of responsibilities in the partnership, the Saxony-based company WätaS Wärmetauscher Sachsen GmbH will develop a new generation of fuel cell stacks as the basis for the powertrain, while the Fraunhofer IWU is supporting the development of new production technologies and the improvement of stack functionalities with the ‘reference factory.H2’. The Chemnitz-based Fraunhofer Research Institute is also responsible for the dimensioning of the system and the packaging, as well as ensuring a smooth interface between vehicle and fuel cell system development.

According to the initiators, the advantage over battery-electric solutions lies in the longer range and shorter refuelling times. The project is being funded by the EU and the federal state of Saxony.

iwu.fraunhofer.de (in German)