Fuel Cell for Transportation
Fuel cells for transport as any units that provide propulsive power to a vehicle, directly or indirectly (i.e. as range extenders). This includes the following applications for the technology
Forklift trucks and other goods handling vehicles such as airport baggage trucks etc
Two-and three-wheeler vechicles such as scooters
Light duty vehicles (LDVs), such as cars and vans
Buses and trucks
Trains and trams
Ferries and smaller boats
Manned light aircraft
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs), for example, for reconnaissance
Fuel cell LDVs have so far seen limited use but this is set to change as most major automakers have targeted 2015 for initial commercial sales of their fuel cell vehicles. Initial locations for this rollout will most likely concentrate around clusters of early hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in Japan, Germany and the USA, and will then spread outwards from these centres as the market is established.
The fuel cell bus sector is showing year-on-year growth, with more prototypes being unveiled. Successful deployments have taken place in Europe, Japan, Canada and the USA but the high capital cost is still a barrier to widespread adoption. However, it is hoped that soon after 2014 fuel cell bus prices will be comparable to diesel-hybrid bus prices.
