Volkswagen hydrogen electric car with a range of 2000 km.

Volkswagen has filed a patent for a new, more efficient fuel cell. This will allow the brand’s hydrogen electric vehicle to travel about 2,000 kilometers on just one tank.

Volkswagen hydrogen electric car

Volkswagen’s new fuel cell is cheaper and offers more autonomy

In recent years, Volkswagen’s top management has been skeptical of hydrogen, pointing to the electric car as the future.

However, it seems that the German brand is still attentive to this market. Recently, Aliu-se in Kraftwerk develop new technologies in this area.

As a result of this collaboration, both companies have filed a patent for a fuel cell that promises to be cheaper and more efficient.

How does this new fuel cell work?

While the batteries of electric vehicles use up the stored battery, the fuel cells of hydrogen vehicles can produce their own energy.

They store hydrogen as a gas in a high pressure tank (or at very low temperatures if liquid). The fuel cell then converts the hydrogen into electricity using a cathode and an anode.

Hydrogen (H2) enters through the anode and passes through the electrolytic membrane, which splits it into a proton (H+) and an electron (e-).

The electrolyte then directs them along different paths. The electron passes through the external circuit to create a flow of electricity and start the engine. The protons travel to the cathode where they combine with oxygen and an electron to produce water and heat.

In this process, innovations from Kraftwerk and Volkswagen appear, which use a ceramic membrane instead of the usual plastic solution from other manufacturers.

As Sascha Kühn, CEO of Kraftwerk, explained when business insider“The big advantage of this solution is that it can be produced much more economically than polymer fuel cells. In addition, they do not use platinum, a precious metal that makes other solutions more expensive.

So this new system is similar to a solid state battery as they have basically the same amount of electrolytes and a very similar structure.

The big difference is that solid state batteries store energy in a compact material. This fuel cell uses hydrogen gas for this task.

Lower production cost and greater autonomy

Thus, the new fuel cell becomes an excellent alternative to existing models. In addition to not freezing in the winter and not drying in the summer (no need for humidification), it also generates heat that can be used to air-condition your car.

Added to this is the fact that it is quite efficient, as it offers drivers a mileage of 2,000 kilometers with just a deposit. So this value is greater than one electric car or fuel.

When will this new electric version from Volkswagen arrive?

Although it was developed jointly with Volkswagen, Kraftwerk assured that it will not be exclusive to the German manufacturer and is expected to be integrated by other manufacturers.

New fuel cells will be introduced into electric vehicles from 2026

According to the brand’s plans, this technology is expected to be applied to mass-produced vehicles as early as 2026, with at least 10,000 units of each series produced and distributed by several manufacturers.

Video – How does a hydrogen fuel cell work?