Bosch commits
BOSCH IS COMMITTING TO hydrogen fuel cell development to power future heavy truck models.
The powertrain and propulsion technology innovator will produce fuel cell stacks in its Anderson, South Carolina, facility as part of a more than US$200 million investment expected to create at least 350 new jobs by the start of production in 2026.
Bosch says mobile fuel cell technology are a viable option for climate-neutral transportation of goods in heavy vehicles where battery electric alone still presents challenges due to battery size and weight. Fuel cells make all-electric operation of large vehicles for long trips a reality.
The fuel cell stacks produced in Anderson will drive hydrogen-powered trucks coming to the roads of the US in the next few years, including the Nikola Tre FCEV scheduled for release in the North American market from late 2023.
“The hydrogen economy holds great promise and at Bosch we are all in,” says Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America.
“This is a significant milestone as we announce the first fuel-cell related production for Bosch in the US to support the growing demand from our local customers as part of a diverse approach to powertrain technology.”
The development of the new production process in Anderson is being supported locally with assistance from the state of South Carolina as well as Anderson County.
Work has already started on expansion of the Anderson facility to support fuel cell technology. Capital upgrades to the Anderson campus include an estimated 16356sqm of floorspace to be developed to manufacture the fuel cell stack as well as supporting clean room and climatecontrolled environments required for qualitycritical processes.
Fuel cell stack production is highly complex. One stack consists of 3,200 individual parts assembled, more than 400 layers and more than 100 unique components. Fuel cell stack production in Anderson will expand on Bosch’s existing global production for fuel cell stacks, including critical sub-components.
“In order to successfully bring fuel cell technology to market in mass scale, it requires a combination of extensive experience in research and development, systems integration and complex manufacturing process,” Mansuetti said.
“Bosch is unique in its ability in all these areas. The work we have already done in commercialising fuel cell technology builds on our extensive experience in developing and manufacturing products for the internal combustion engine at scale.”
Bosch will be one of the first to market with large-scale production to support hydrogenpowered commercial vehicles. The company plans to invest more than US$1 billion globally to develop mobile fuel cell technologies by 2024.
A fuel cell operates by using hydrogen to generate electrical energy. As the hydrogen ions pass over the fuel cell plates, they combine with oxygen to create electricity. The only by-product is water, allowing the vehicle to run with zero local carbon emissions.
When hydrogen is produced using renewable energy, also called green hydrogen, fuel cells enable vehicles to be operated nearly Co2-free.
T&D