EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies, a joint venture between ElringKlinger and Plastic Omnium, has received a new order from a European car manufacturer for fuel cell stacks to be used in a forthcoming production vehicle. The details of the vehicle have not been disclosed. The order covers the development of a custom stack, delivery of prototypes, and has a single-digit million euro value. The stacks will begin shipping this year.
According to Dr. Gernot Stellberger, Managing Director of EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies, the company’s customer has high standards for quality and production. EKPO was able to meet these requirements with their development and technology expertise. He notes that hydrogen is becoming increasingly important for personal mobility and EKPO’s fuel cell technology offers matching solutions.
EKPO Fuel Cell has been expanding globally, with a similar contract in Europe announced last September. The joint venture has also entered the Chinese market with a subsidiary launched last year. Despite being only launched in October 2020, EKPO Fuel Cell has already made significant strides in the industry.
EKPO will deliver a custom fuel cell stack for use in vehicles. The design challenge is to achieve high performance while keeping a compact form factor due to limited space for installation. The custom bipolar plate and matching high-power MEA ensure peak performance. The bipolar plate features a metal seal and special coating for high performance and durability.
Production of the stacks will take place at EKPO’s headquarters in Dettingen/Erms. EKPO, under its parent company ElringKlinger, has been researching fuel cells for 20 years and offers stacks using PEM technology, converting chemical energy into electricity using hydrogen and oxygen.
Various stack configurations and integrated peripheral components and functionalities are available to simplify the fuel cell system and reduce costs. EKPO can handle the entire value chain of a hydrogen fuel cell drive thanks to its parent company Plastic Omnium’s system solutions. EKPO has an initial production capacity of 10,000 stacks annually, with plans to expand as orders increase.
