About the project
Hybrids and electrified drives can be found in many mobile application areas, such as in passenger cars and city buses, and have proved their performance and robustness in everyday use. Since 2015, battery-powered and zero-emission construction machines have been offered on the market but have not yet been in widespread use. The reason for this is the operating time (“range”) of only 5 to 8 h for purely battery-electric machines with moderate loads. If the machines are subjected to more intensive loads, operating times of less than one hour can occur. To counter this challenge, equipping commercial construction machines with fuel cell drive systems is a market-relevant measure.
In this project, a consortium consisting of a construction equipment manufacturer, leading and innovative suppliers and various research institutes will equip an existing construction machine with a hybrid drive system (fuel cell with high-performance battery) and test it in real-life application scenarios. The relevant technological components will be further developed or adapted and integrated into the system. Through the exclusive use of green hydrogen, these construction machines make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector.
