MAHLE Powertrain to demo hydrogen technology inside Renault Kangoo

MAHLE Powertrain is working with hydrogen fuel specialist Bramble Energy to demonstrate hydrogen technology within a Renault Kangoo ZE.

MAHLE Powertrain was chosen to support Bramble Energy on the integration project, which leverages high volume printed circuit board manufacturing techniques to reduce cost and ease of production scalability, thanks to its expertise in EV control systems, zero-emission vehicle systems integration and cooling system development.

Using PCB technology enables Bramble Energy to offer a bespoke fuel cell capability and enhanced production flexibility, plus a robustness inherent in the printed circuit board manufacturing process.

It also enables the company to strip-back fuel cell complexity and reduce weight, negating the need for separate sealing materials and lowering the number of components without negatively impacting build quality or performance, it claims.

The vehicle, which will be unveiled in 2021, will showcase the reduced-cost, high-performance potential of high power density liquid-cooled fuel cells.

Says Jonathan Hall, MAHLE Powertrain’s head of research & advanced engineering projects:

“Hydrogen is certainly a viable option for the light commercial vehicle sector,”

“We are delighted to be working with Bramble Energy on such an exciting and timely project. The commercial vehicle sector is currently exploring alternative fuel options as several large fleet operators pledge to meet net-zero CO₂ emissions.”

Adds Dr Tom Mason, Bramble Energy CEO and CTO:

“Delivery of this project will be a milestone moment for both Bramble Energy and net-zero CV powertrains and we cannot wait to demonstrate the tangible performance and cost benefits to the CV industry.”  

Bramble Energy’s fuel cell solution has already been demonstrated for air-cooled applications and will be launched – as the SD product range – in collaboration with BOC in the near future.