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Bosch Partners with Powercell on Fuel Cell Production

Robert Bosch GmbH has formed an alliance with Powercell Sweden AB to develop and mass produce fuel-cell stacks for the commercial truck and automotive markets.

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Robert Bosch GmbH has formed an alliance with Powercell Sweden AB to develop and mass produce fuel-cell stacks for the commercial truck and automotive markets.

The companies will collaborate in developing polymer-electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Bosch will then mass produce the units under license and market them no later than 2022.

The Powercell system will joint existing Bosch’s lineup of fuel-cell products. The German supplier has predicts that as many as 20% of electric cars will get their power from fuel cells by 2030.

Bosch believes the most immediate market for fuel cells is commercial vehicles, where the market is more tolerant of the high cost of the technology. The company also notes that hydrogen for fuel cells currently costs about €5 per kilogram ($2.55 per lb), enough to power a 40-ton truck for about 12 km (7.5 miles).

Achieving economies of scale in the commercial sector will help drive down the price of the fuel stack, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of the cost of a fuel cell system and make automotive applications more attractive.

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