Over the past three years, we have seen BMW, Toyota and even motorcycle manufacturers such as Suzuki switch to hydrogen, although there have always been two that have been reluctant to do so. One of them is Tesla, with Elon Musk warning that it is “a stupidity”. The other you know well, it is German and is now going to develop its long-awaited combustion and zero-emission engines at the same time.
This legendary German brand rejected hydrogen, now it will develop it
In an ambitious strategic development that may drastically redefine Mahle’s outlook alongside the landscape of the automotive industry, Mahle, a global manufacturer and supplier of automotive components and systems, has laid out the company’s intention to embrace hydrogen technology.
This strategic change represents the next step in a company’s quest to create new and effective means of achieving environmentally friendly mobility, with hydrogen becoming a serious challenger to EVs in the global fight for zero-emission transport systems.
With this Mahle honks on the prospects of hydrogen as a viable source of energy, which could potentially work in synergy, or possibly eclipse the possibilities of modern EV solutions. The automotive industry has been faced with the challenge of having to come up with sustainable solutions.
First prototype of hydrogen engines from Mahle is already released
With recent success Mahle manages to shock the automotive world with a new precise hydrogen engine concept — the prototype of which has been recently introduced to the public. This innovation demonstrates that the company is not just making electric cars but looking for other forms of propulsion systems.
To support the engine and fuel cell system, the body of the prototype has adopted the use of a hydroformed frame. This blend of technologies takes advantage of the best of both worlds: combustible engine’s power-to-weight ratio and fuel cell’s ability to run on fuels without emitting environmentally hazardous substances.
This innovative design is anchored on a powerful hydrogen combustion engine — an essential driver of maximum output and infinitesimal pollution. One of Mahle’s traditional domains has been conventional combustion engine technology, and it has used this knowledge in creating this powerful mill.
Partnered with the combustion engine, there is a complex, but highly efficient, fuel cell system designed to produce electric current through the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. This electricity is used to charge an electric motor which gives the car an extra boost.
A traditional carmaker that now bets on hydrogen: how it has been its evolution
This innovation towards hydrogen engine production is grounded on the strategic goal of Mahle because of their prior success in establishing internal combustion engines. Established in 1910 and with operations now in over 80 countries and regions, it today ranks as a Tier 1 automotive components and systems provider.
This level of vertical integration of the business allows Mahle to have complete knowledge of the design, material, and manufacturing capabilities of the engine to deliver new high tech solutions in improving the power, fuel consumption, and emissions of the current gasoline and diesel engines.
Such inventions as the piston design, managing thermal effects, and air and oil filters indicated pioneering advancements which define the development of combustion engines. This wealth of knowledge and technical prowess positions Mahle as a formidable player in the emerging hydrogen engine market.
As you can see, these new hydrogen engines will be the definitive leap for a manufacturer that, for a long time, rejected them. Perhaps it was because they were not considered viable or because the competition was too intense, but the truth is that now they have taken the plunge. Will Volkswagen do the same? We know that you came to think about this brand, but for the moment they seem to continue to reject the change.
