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 ‘traditional’ 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 company’s launch into the zero-emission vehicle market, Steve Turner, Managing Director of Caigan Vehicle Technologies, said, “Companies and organisations are under growing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint and there won’t be enough electric vehicles to meet demand as deadlines approach.
“We 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.”
In focus: Westport Fuel Systems’ 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 company’s patented and proprietary High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) 2.0™ 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 company’s HPDI system to utilise a range of gaseous fuels and provide a long-term carbon-reduction strategy.