»Hydrocycle, the motorcycle for the hydrogen age
If 1 kilogram of hydrogen allows a car to travel (approximately) 100 kilometers, then an H2 tank for electric propulsion can also be accommodated in the limited space available on a motorcycle. It is much more challenging to incorporate a complete fuel cell system into the frame construction, which is needed "on board" to convert the hydrogen into electrical energy.
A German-Czech consortium of research institutions and manufacturing companies is now taking on this challenge: by the end of 2025, a roadworthy motorcycle will be built as a demonstrator that meets the strict European approval standards and certification requirements.
The project partner ČVUT already has many years of experience in building motorcycles with alternative drive systems.
The hydrogen bike is intended to serve as inspiration for the mobility of the future. Due to its agility and compactness, the two-wheeler is interesting for inner-city delivery services and parcel delivery companies. It enables CO2-neutral mobility and contributes to the reduction of noise emissions. The advantage over battery-electric solutions lies in the greater range and shorter refueling times.
division of labor
In the Hydrocycle project, the partners from Czechia are working on vehicle development and driving forward the work packages of vehicle construction, ergonomics, and packaging (accommodating the technology in the available installation space). The German project partners are concentrating on the powertrain. WätaS Wärmetauscher Sachsen GmbH is developing a new generation of fuel cell stacks as the basis for the powertrain, while Fraunhofer IWU is providing support with the reference factory.
H2 the development of new manufacturing technologies and the improvement of stack functionalities. The Chemnitz-based research institute is also responsible for the dimensioning of the system and packaging. The IWU is also responsible for ensuring a smooth interface between vehicle and fuel cell system development.
Project background
Hydrocycle contributes to the European Union's hydrogen strategy. The EU guidelines stipulate that hydrogen from renewable energies will also play a key role in the transport sector from 2030 onwards, enabling the Union to become climate neutral by 2050.
The project partners Fraunhofer IWU, WätaS Wärmetauscher Sachsen GmbH (Olbernhau), 1to1design (Prague), Czech Technical University (ČVUT, Prague), and ÚJV Řež (Husinec) are participating in a call for proposals for joint Czech-Saxon collaborative projects in the field of sustainable mobility and transport systems for people and goods.
Text & image credits: Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU
