FUELLING THE
‘AFTER-OIL’ ERA
As we enter the electrified
era, AVL is leading the way
in fuel cell development.
Climate change, diminishing fossil fuel resources, worldwide legislation
and driver demands are just a few of the forces driving change in the
automotive industry. And as we begin to see a variety of new technological
challengers to the traditional internal combustion engine appear, electrification
is clearly coming out ahead of the pack. The race to establish the
zero emission leaders in the ‘after-oil’ global marketplace is heating up,
with some regions already leading the way in the development of battery
and fuel cell technology. Batteries have a five to ten year development head
start over fuel cells, but both seem to offer the most suitable solution to
the zero-emission question.
Fuel cells convert hydrogen or hydrogen-rich compounds into electricity
without combustion, employing an electrochemical reaction instead. This
results in either very low emissions or no emission at all, making them a
2 0 A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
AVL offers a complete portfolio for
fuel cell system development and
integration, simulation and testing,
covering SOFC and PEMFC as well
as a wide range of applications.
fuel cell