MAHLE boosts use of hydrogen in fuel cells and combustion engines

MAHLE is expanding its application portfolio for hydrogen.

The technology group already has a broad portfolio for fuel cell systems and is also driving forward the ongoing development of the combustion engine to support the use of hydrogen as a fuel. Now, MAHLE has joined the Hydrogen Council, a worldwide initiative of leading energy, transport, and industrial companies, which advocates hydrogen as an essential element of the global energy transition.

“I'm firmly convinced that hydrogen will play an important role in the defossilization of our national economies,” stated Dr. Jörg Stratmann, CEO and Chairman of the MAHLE Management Board. “MAHLE is working together with the Hydrogen Council to lay the foundation for the worldwide introduction of hydrogen-based mobility. Hydrogen is a cornerstone of CO2-neutral mobility, particularly with regard to road transport.”

The MAHLE CEO believes that the hydrogen initiatives announced by the German federal government and the European Union (EU) are sending out positive signals. Jörg Stratmann: “The German federal government and the EU have taken important steps in the right direction. However, there is still a lot to be done to industrialize fuel cell technology consistently and complement the highly efficient combustion engine with regenerative fuels, which is important in terms of climate and industrial policy.”

MAHLE has been a series supplier for fuel cell vehicles for over a decade. The technology group holds a particularly strong position in the complex air intake system and in the temperature control of fuel cell systems. For example, the Nikola Motor Company has relied on MAHLE's expertise in thermal management for the development of its fuel cell truck Nikola Two since 2018. The systems specialist headquartered in Stuttgart/Germany is the development partner and supplier for the truck's entire cooling and air conditioning system.

MAHLE has brought together its fuel cell activities in a project house. One area of focus is the development of fuel cells and their components for commercial vehicles and passenger cars. This is where the core fields of research and development expertise in conventional mobility converge—fields that are also fundamental to the fuel cell drive: thermal, air, and liquid management, as well as mechatronics and electronics. MAHLE is also working on the use of hydrogen for stationary applications, such as the area of energy supply, and as a fuel for combustion engines.