Battery-electric drivetrains are the most advanced and widespread in today’s world. They come with the promise of zero emissions (kind of, but more on that later), they are now affordable and varied enough for a lot more people than before to own, and range anxiety seems to have disappeared.
But BEVs are not without problems. The biggest is the fact that even if in themselves they are clean, electric drivetrains need electricity we generate through not-so-clean methods (these problems have begun being ironed out with the help of clean energy generation, but still not fast enough).
The most common problem has to do with charging times. Although significantly reduced from what they used to be, charging times are still uncomfortably long for most of us, at least when compared to how much it takes to fuel up an ICE car.
There is an alternative solution that might have spared us both the electricity generation problem and the issues with charging times: hydrogen. It’s a solution currently adopted on a very small scale by carmakers, but one that could save us a lot of hassle in the future.
Hydrogen is clean, just like electricity, but unlike ions it can be loaded inside a tank much faster. Just two pounds of the stuff (one kilo) could be enough to provide a range of 62 miles, and the only thing that results from it being used is water.
Despite all of this, the world still doesn’t seem to take it seriously. In cars hydrogen is only used commercially in two vehicles, the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo, and not many other designs meant to use it are on the horizon.
The European Union does seem to have seen the benefits of hydrogen, and made the stuff a key component of its plan to become carbon neutral by 2050. More specifically, it calls on member states and the companies they house to increasingly use hydrogen for transportation needs as soon as the next decade.
With that in mind we get to today’s story. It’s not about a hydrogen car, but about a hydrogen motorcycle, something I have to admit I don’t remember hearing about before (prototypes notwithstanding).
Technically speaking it’s relatively easy to devise a hydrogen system for a car as far as space is concerned. All you have to do is find enough room for a tank and the fuel cell system that converts it into electricity.
In a motorcycle things are a bit trickier. The hydrogen tank is not a problem in itself, but the deployment of the rather bulky fuel cell requires some truly creative thinking. And that’s probably why we don’t have hydrogen motorcycles running around yet.
That may very well change, now that some serious entities have gotten involved in making such things a reality.
It happened over in Europe where a bunch of companies and research institutions from Germany and the Czech Republic joined hands in a project called the Hydrocycle.
Kawasaki Hydrocycle: A Game-Changing Vehicle That Runs on Hydrogen
In a surprising twist, a consortium of innovative companies and research institutes have come together to develop a groundbreaking vehicle that runs on hydrogen. Dubbed the Kawasaki Hydrocycle, this bike-like contraption is set to revolutionize the way we think about transportation.
The project is spearheaded by Germany’s WätaSwärmetauscher Sachsen GmbH and the Fraunhofer IWU research institute, who will be responsible for the bike’s powertrain, including the fuel cell stack and the interface between the vehicle and the fuel system. Joining forces with them are 1to1design, the Czech Technical University, and UJV Rez from the Czech Republic, who will handle the overall design and functionality of the vehicle.
By the end of next year, the consortium aims to unveil a rideable motorcycle prototype that meets the strict European approval standards and certification regulations. While the Kawasaki Hydrocycle is not intended for high-speed racing, it is specifically targeted at delivery services operating in urban areas. This eco-friendly solution could potentially revolutionize the way goods are transported within cities.
Although the project is not backed by any major motorcycle manufacturers, its main goal is to inspire others to follow suit and explore the possibilities of hydrogen-powered vehicles. With the success of the Kawasaki Hydrocycle, we may one day see a whole new generation of hydrogen-powered race bikes.
Stay tuned as we continue to monitor this exciting development. We will keep you updated on any new information and, hopefully, provide you with real images of the Kawasaki Hydrocycle in action.
