A new hydrogen fuel cell convertor for internal combustion engine vehicles has been launched by a UK-based company looking to convert petrol and diesel vehicles.
Caigan Vehicle Technologies today (August 26) said its engineers can replace โtraditionalโ combustion engines with a complete hydrogen fuel cell power system to allow fleet managers to upgrade vehicles to cut emissions and meet various net zero targets.
To convert a vehicle to hydrogen, Caigan Vehicle Technologies will remove existing engine and fuel systems, and retrofit a hydrogen storage tank, a fuel cell to convert the hydrogen gas to electricity, a traction battery and an electric drive motor.
Commenting on the companyโs launch into the zero-emission vehicle market, Steve Turner, Managing Director of Caigan Vehicle Technologies, said, โCompanies and organisations are under growing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint and there wonโt be enough electric vehicles to meet demand as deadlines approach.
โWe can design and integrate a hydrogen powertrain with negligible reduction in payload and range when compared to petrol or diesel power. This option allows fleet managers to upgrade their high-value assets and keep them in service instead of coming under pressure to dispose of them before good alternatives are available.โ
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He continued, โHydrogen fuel cell technology isnโt a compromise or a half measure. Fuel cells only emit water vapour and a little heat, so harmful tailpipe emissions are zero. The most polluting vehicles can drive into our workshop and drive out with no emissions at all. The latest fuel cell cars actually clean the air as they drive which is a game-changer for the environment.โ
Caigan Vehicle Technologies Websiteย
Westport Fuel Systemsโ hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine
When Westport Fuel Systems announced in March that trials of its brand-new heavy-duty internal combustion engine running on hydrogen fuel were underway, the clean transportation technology company received a staggering response.
Utilising the companyโs patented and proprietary High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) 2.0โข System, the heavy-duty internal combustion engine is a concept which can run on a number of different fuels, including hydrogen and biogas.
When the trials commenced, David Johnson, CEO of Westport Fuel Systems, said it marked the first ever HPDI to operate on hydrogen, and it demonstrated the inherent versatility of the companyโs HPDI system to utilise a range of gaseous fuels and provide a long-term carbon-reduction strategy.
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