Smaller and more powerful, the Intelligent Energy fuel cell could be a game-changer. The British manufacturer describes it as a revolutionary opportunity.

There may be an alternative to batteries for passenger cars. The brand new patented IE-DRIVE system of Intelligent Energy has been designed to give manufacturers access to a smaller, more powerful and commercially viable fuel cell. It is the first of its kind to be designed, manufactured and tested by a British company. The company unveiled its fuel cell recently at its headquarters in Loughborough (Leicerstershire), where it was integrated into an SUV made by Chinese manufacturer Changan.

In fact, Intelligent Energy’s DRIVE fuel cell has a power output of 157 kW. Which is more than those from Hyundai or Toyota. It uses fewer components (by eliminating the humidifier and associated parts) and uses a smaller heat exchanger. It’s a turnkey solution that the British company intends to market at £100 per kW by the end of the decade. That’s potentially €18,000 for the fuel cell. A price that would put the hydrogen-powered car on a par with the battery and internal combustion engine.

The fuel cell is the fruit of a four-year project, called ESTHER, which began in November 2019 and was supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). It involved the Chinese company Changan, which could be the first to put it to use.

Read the press release here.

To keep up with the latest hydrogen news, updates and events in the UK, check out our page here. 

Are you a LinkedIn user who would like to follow the latest hydrogen news on a more regular basis? You can subscribe to our newsletter here. 

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili