Cellcentric unveils BZA375 fuel cell system at Hanover Messe

Cellcentric, the hydrogen technology consortium which includes Daimler Truck, Volvo Group and newly-added partner Toyota, has unveiled its latest heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell system at this year’s Hannover Messe.

Developed over the past three years, the new BZA375 fuel cell system is said to have been engineered to compete with modern diesel engines in demanding applications. This is centred on total cost of ownership, which Cellcentric noted is ‘the decisive factor influencing customers’ purchasing decisions in heavy-duty markets’.

The Cellcentric BZA375 fuel cell system for heavy-duty commercial vehicles (Photo: Cellcentric)

“BZA375 is custom tailored for the needs of heavy-duty, long-haul trucks and an excellent fit in other applications with comparable requirements,” said Cellcentric’s chief technical officer Nicholas Loughlan.

“At Cellcentric, we are deliberately set up as an independent Tier 1 supplier and open to partnering with any OEMs that are driving the decarbonization of their portfolios,” he added.

The BZA375 can deliver up to 375 kW of continuous power, equivalent to more than 500 hp. Despite the power increase, the unit uses 20% less fuel than the previous BZA150. A fully-loaded 40-ton truck should use about 6 kg of hydrogen ful per 100 km.

Additionally, the new model has a 40% reduction in heat waste over the previous version, which allows a more compact and cost-effective cooling system. Power density has also been increased by 40% over the BZA150.

Using fewer components and interfaces has reduced the overall weight of the BZA375 to less the 500 kg (the specific weight was not provided).

These and other advances are said to have delivered a full service life of around 25,000 hours, equivalent to 10 years of operation in an HD vehicle.

Production of prototype versions have already started, with those examples undergoing performance and durability testing. Prior to full series production, these systems will be made available to customers for testing and validation. Full production is set to start in the early 2030s.