Zero emission vans: what Peugeot did next

Greenbang regularly brings you stories of research partnerships- bodies that come together with the purpose of enhancing the sum of human knowledge into all things green. However, it’s all too rare for her to be able to tell you how the partnerships went on – did they flourish, or flounder and split, like a scientific version of Fairport Convention?

Luckily today, Greenbang can bring you the results of a three-year research union between PSA Peugeot Citroën and Intelligent Energy in the form a spiffy new van sporting a prototype Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell.

The pair have been working on a system called the H2Origin. Here’s what it does:

This new-generation 10 kWe system delivers several important benefits:

• A range of 300 km, three times that of a conventional battery-powered EV

• Compact design for both the fuel cell stack and ancillary equipment, enabling integration into the front engine bay in place of the internal combustion engine.

• Vehicle start at temperatures as low as -20°C, representing a major advance for a fuel-cell powered vehicle.

A groundbreaking 700-bar hydrogen storage system also enhances mobility and makes the vehicle easier to operate:

• 70% more hydrogen can be carried on board, without any increase in the size or weight of the storage tanks.

• Range is extended, without having to plug the vehicle into a power source to recharge the batteries, enabling it to be used in a wider variety of applications.

• The hydrogen tanks are mounted on a sliding rack under the rear cargo area, making it fast and easy to swap in new ones. This offers a practical alternative to refueling at a service station and eliminates a major obstacle to the development of hydrogen vehicles.

Naturally, no word on when or if the public can get a look in.