Microcab Industries and Serenergy are combining to create fuel-cell demonstrators for the Coventry and Birmingham Low Emissions Demonstrator (CABLED) project. The UK vehicle designer recently agreed to purchase 10 fuel-cell systems from Serenergy for insertion into Microcab Urban Vehicles. The High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell (HTPEM) system solves the significant hurdle of overheating in fuel-cell drive systems. Once the HTPEM systems are integrated, Microcab will deliver 10 units to CABLED organizers for its yearlong demonstration of low-carbon propulsion.
The Serenus HTPEM system developed by Serenergy has an operating temperature of 150 degrees Celsius, nearly double the 80-degree Celsius temperature in low temperature systems. Serenergy notes that the high-temperature system requires no compressor, humidifier or radiator due to system efficiencies. The absence of these parts leads to production costs 75% lower than standard fuel-cell systems. Representatives from Serenergy also claim that the system is 57% more efficient than the current generation of fuel cells. For the CABLED project, the ability to utilize hydrogen featuring more carbon oxide (CO) means lower operational costs due to a broader range of hydrogen sources.
Performance in Microcab’s fuel-cell vehicles will be boosted with HTPEM systems from Serenergy. Each Microcab vehicle can travel up to 40 miles per hour with a range of 100 miles based on factory settings. In addition to hydrogen fuel cells, Microcab models also use regenerative braking to increase range. The standard fuel cell system can be refueled completely in less than four minutes. The Urban Vehicle model used for CABLED is one of four designs by Microcab including the Pickup, Van and Taxi. The combination of zero emissions, lightweight design and functionality make Microcab models ideal for this demonstration project.
Microcab and Serenergy are unique in the CABLED project as the only suppliers of hydrogen demonstrators in the fleet of 110 low-emissions vehicles. Both companies are receiving funds from Coventry University as well as the UK Department of Energy & Climate Change to expedite vehicle development. Microcab is already a known quantity in the UK auto market but will benefit greatly from Serenergy’s advanced technology. As Microcab demonstrators hit the streets of the West Midlands, UK consumers will see the viability of fuel cell vehicles for daily use. The CABLED project will no doubt prove that the obstacle to widespread adoption of zero-emissions vehicles is infrastructure rather than automotive technology.
