"Although fuel cell lithium battery vehicles have not yet reached industrial scale, the deployment of hydrogen refueling stations has a certain benchmark significance in the industry, and hydrogen fuel cell lithium battery vehicles are expected to become the next industry hot spot," an industry insider said.
On September 7th, the launch ceremony of the Foshan project of the Ministry of Science and Technology/UNDP's "Promoting the Commercialization of Fuel Cell Lithium Battery Vehicles in my country" and the Foshan Nanhai District New Energy Vehicle (Hydrogen Energy) Industry Investment Promotion Conference were held in Danzao Town, Nanhai District. It is reported that Danzao will soon be operating fuel cell lithium battery buses, and the nation's first fully commercialized hydrogen refueling station, located in the town, will also officially begin operation.
Meanwhile, the introduction of relevant support policies has once again propelled the hydrogen energy industry into the spotlight. In the capital market, many astute listed companies have already taken the lead in entering the "business circle" of fuel cell lithium batteries.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles may become the next big trend.
Despite the current popularity of lithium batteries, many in the new energy vehicle industry believe that hydrogen fuel cell lithium batteries are the truly environmentally friendly new energy material. Hou Guoyou, director of the Tianneng Group Technology Center, believes: "After several years of development, hydrogen fuel cell lithium battery vehicles are now feasible. If lithium batteries cannot solve the problems of recycling retired batteries and safety, then in the next three to five years, hydrogen fuel cell lithium batteries will compete with lithium batteries and may very well replace them."
Ouyang Xun, Chairman of Beijing Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., told reporters, "Fuel cell lithium batteries have three main advantages: First, compared to the phase-out mechanism for lithium battery subsidies, the government's subsidy support for fuel cell lithium batteries remains unchanged. Second, the technological and industrial foundation is solid, and the new energy vehicle market is viewed favorably in the long term. Third, fuel cell lithium batteries have twice the driving range of lithium batteries, exhibit good low-temperature adaptability in the vast northern regions, and have good recycling rates throughout their entire life cycle. Lithium batteries have a long charging time, while fuel cell lithium batteries offer quick and convenient charging."
Looking at overseas markets, Toyota actually launched its hydrogen fuel cell lithium-ion battery sedan as early as 2015, and Honda also launched a hydrogen fuel cell lithium-ion battery vehicle around the same time. This year, the fuel cell lithium-ion battery vehicle market has once again come into the public eye, with Toyota, Honda, and Nissan announcing an agreement to collaborate with energy companies to promote the construction of hydrogen refueling stations in Japan. General Motors and Honda announced that their joint venture fuel cell lithium-ion battery system manufacturing company has entered the substantive operational phase.
Overseas automotive giants are once again gearing up, and domestic companies are not idle either. For example, in the first half of this year, Xiongtou Group's investee company, Hydrogen Energy, signed a purchase and sale agreement for fuel cell stacks with Guoda Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. The agreement stipulates that Hydrogen Energy will issue an authorization letter to Guoda Hydrogen, allowing Guoda Hydrogen to sell Hydrogen Energy's fuel cell stack products within my country.
It is reported that Xiongtou Technology has completed the installation and commissioning of fuel cell lithium battery UPS systems in Indian communication base stations; it has also completed the design and assembly of a fuel cell lithium battery hybrid prototype vehicle, which is currently in the technical method verification, type approval testing, and reliability testing phase. Furthermore, in the area of aluminum-to-hydrogen conversion, the project has been approved and is currently in the technical integration and commissioning testing phase for aluminum-to-hydrogen and fuel cell lithium battery systems.
Ouyang Xun stated that due to relatively high costs, inadequate basic infrastructure, and long R&D cycles, the time is not yet ripe for the industrialization of fuel cell lithium battery vehicles. Currently, fuel cell lithium batteries are mainly used in public transportation, logistics vehicles, and shuttle buses, with passenger cars following suit. It is estimated that the number will double to over 10,000 vehicles by 2019.
Technological barriers urgently need to be overcome
Hou Guoyou told reporters, "Currently, the major challenges facing fuel cell lithium batteries are cost, lifespan, and performance. The significant costs of hydrogen fuel cell batteries include precious metal catalysts, proton exchange membranes, and dual-motor plates. Due to limited mass production, hydrogen fuel cell batteries are more expensive than lithium batteries. Secondly, the lifespan of fuel cell lithium batteries is still some distance from practical application."
On the other hand, Hou Guoyou added, "Hydrogen fuel cell lithium batteries have limited power output, meaning their instantaneous start-up capability is weak. There's about a 10-second delay between starting with hydrogen fuel and converting to electrical energy, a problem that the fuel itself cannot solve. Currently, foreign automakers address this by using hydrogen fuel cell lithium batteries as the primary power source, adding a small amount of lithium batteries for instantaneous start-up, and then switching back to hydrogen fuel cell lithium batteries."
Data shows that the theoretical lifespan of the world's best hydrogen fuel cell lithium batteries is only 8,000-10,000 hours (equivalent to about 5-6 years of use if working 4 hours a day). In contrast, ternary lithium batteries can theoretically last for 4,000 cycles (equivalent to 8-10 years).
Furthermore, the most significant challenge facing the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is the lack of public service stations. Industry insiders point out that hydrogen refueling stations rely on a comprehensive hydrogen energy production and transportation network, and the safety of hydrogen itself, the safety during refueling, and the safety of the operation process all need to be addressed.
A research report by Guojin Securities points out that the safe application of hydrogen as an emerging energy source is already quite mature. Existing safety designs for fuel cell lithium-ion battery vehicles can effectively address hydrogen leakage issues and reduce the possibility of hydrogen explosions in various situations, including severe car collisions. Compared to gasoline-powered vehicles and lithium-ion battery vehicles, the safety factor of fuel cell lithium-ion battery vehicles is by no means inferior.
Therefore, from the "Energy Technology Revolution Innovation Action Plan (2016-2030)" to the "Energy-Saving and New Energy Vehicle Technology Roadmap", and then to the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of National Strategic Emerging Industries" and the new policy on subsidies for new energy vehicles, the state has put forward specific planning requirements for the development of fuel cell lithium battery vehicles and provided multifaceted support.
In addition, Nanhai District of Foshan City recently issued the "Measures for Promoting the Development of the New Energy Vehicle Industry in Nanhai District of Foshan City", which proposes to accelerate the development of the new energy vehicle industry, including fuel cell lithium battery vehicles.
Listed companies accelerate their expansion
A review of data shows that since the beginning of this year, six fuel cell lithium battery vehicles have been included in the list of new energy vehicle models exempt from vehicle purchase tax, while five fuel cell lithium battery vehicles have been included in the list of recommended models for the promotion and application of new energy vehicles. It is understood that more than ten other companies are currently applying for inclusion in the list of recommended models for promotion and application.
In order to further accelerate the implementation of its hydrogen fuel cell lithium battery system and new energy vehicle operation platform business, Dayang Electric announced in July this year that it plans to establish a joint venture subsidiary with the investment company designated by the Liaocheng Economic Development Zone Management Committee and Zhongtong Bus to carry out projects such as "hydrogen fuel cell lithium battery system and hydrogen fuel cell powertrain system" and related technology research and development of hydrogen fuel cell lithium batteries. The total investment of the project is 2.6 billion yuan, and the total output value after completion will reach 10 billion yuan.
Yihuatong, a company listed on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ), specializing in the research and industrialization of hydrogen fuel cell lithium-ion battery engines, revealed that its new generation of fuel cell lithium-ion battery buses, jointly developed with Foton AUV, can achieve a range of 500 kilometers with just 10 minutes of hydrogen refueling. This bus successfully secured the world's first order of 100 units in 2016, achieving mass production, and the first batch of 30 units is about to be delivered to customers for operation in the Beijing area.
In addition, in the first half of this year, Yihuatong's subsidiary signed a "Business Contract" with Zhongzhi New Energy Vehicle Co., Ltd. According to the contract, Zhongzhi New Energy will purchase 300 hydrogen fuel cell lithium battery power systems from Yihuatong Power. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be completed in 2017, with all purchased products to be delivered by the end of 2018.
In May of this year, Dewei New Materials also announced that its subsidiary had signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Shanghai Automobile City, agreeing to jointly build a demonstration route for fuel cell-powered lithium battery buses from Taicang to Shanghai Hongqiao Hub to Anting. Earlier this year, Dewei New Materials successfully acquired a stake in U.S. Hybrid Power Co., Ltd. and took control of its subsidiary, U.S. Fuel Cell Power Lithium Battery Co., Ltd., thus obtaining a complete technology chain from proton exchange membranes to powertrains.
