Audi Powers Up Fuel Cell Concept

Volkswagen AG’s Audi unit presented a new fuel cell-powered concept vehicle this week at the Detroit auto show. Dubbed the H-tron Quattro, the concept crossover vehicle features fifth-generation fuel cell technology with improved performance, efficiency and service life.

Three 10,000-psi hydrogen tanks located beneath the passenger compartment can store enough fuel to provide an estimated 370-mile range on the European driving cycle. The tanks can be fully refueled in about four minutes, according to the carmaker.

The car's 110-kW fuel cell stack consists of 330 individual cells that drive a pair of electric motors—one at each axle. In addition to storing energy from the fuel cells, the H-tron’s 133-lb, lithium-ion battery can provide a 100-kW boost to the electric motors for short bursts of acceleration and a combined 406 lb-ft of torque, Audi says.

A roof-mounted solar array can add another 620 miles annually to the car’s driving range.

The exterior and interior of the H-tron is virtually identical to last year’s E-tron concept electric vehicle. Both cars ride on VW’s second-generation modular longitudinal platform.

Audi says it’s ready to launch a production fuel cell vehicle as soon as there is sufficient market demand and a supporting infrastructure. In the meantime, the company plans to introduce plug-in hybrid versions of its A6, A7 and Q7 models over the next three years as well as fully electric vehicle in 2018.