Hydrogen as an alternative fuel may have its detractors, but a German-Czech consortium is now developing a fuel cell motorcycle aimed at inner-city deliveries. If pictures of the prototype are any guide, then it really is more motorcycle than scooter.

Two German companies based in Saxony are developing the fuel cell stack, which takes the place of a battery but supplies electricity to a motor in the same way. The Czech Technical University is involved in building up the complete bike, which the consortium aims to have up and running in 2025 as a demonstrator which meets European approval standards and certification.

The participants say that fuel cells offer a longer range and shorter refuelling times than a battery-electric system. However, hydrogen’s detractors point to the large amounts of energy needed to produce the fuel, and a lack of refuelling infrastructure. The hydrogen bike project is being funded by the EU and the German state of Saxony.

Jim Freeman, Chair of the BMF, was sceptical about the use of hydrogen fuel cells for smaller vehicles such as cars and motorcycles: “Hydrogen cells have often been compared to nuclear fusion, lots of promise but always about 10 years away. This project seems to have some serious backers, so let’s see what materialises in 2025 and whether it lives up to the claims. The BMF is very interested in viable alternatives to battery-electric, which have certainly lost some of their gloss when subjected to the white heat of the market.”

Written by Peter Henshaw

Top image courtesy of ČVUT Czech Technical University