Hydrogen fuel cells can channel high volumes of power without taking up much space, making them an ideal solution for heavy, long-haul transport modes, in GM's view. In the locomotive sector, for example, the company is developing fuel cell freight locomotives with partner Wabtec that are "very, very high power" — as much as 3-4 megawatts. "They need a really compact propulsion system and that's what fuel cells and hydrogen can provide," explains Mercurio.
Batteries, by contrast, cannot provide the quantity of energy to make cross-country trips that locomotives make. For similar reasons, GM also sees a big role for hydrogen in road freight. "You think about cross-country trucking, where your truck makes money based on how much cargo weight it can haul," he says. "Batteries are at a real disadvantage there, and fuel cells have a clear advantage with the lower weight of the fuel."
Versatile Charging
Fuel cells can support battery vehicles in some ways. GM is developing electric vehicle charging units built with fuel cell technology under its Empower program. The units promise rapid charging times. They would be also portable and swiftly deployable, making them suitable for operations that don't stay still. "As we talk to charge station operators, it takes a long time to install a grid-tied system," says Al Martin, an integration engineer for fuel cell applications with GM. "We are hearing numbers such as 12, 18, 24 months to install a DC fast-charge station. So we see a clear advantage with fuel cells where we can drop and go instantly, by comparison."
Developing the substation, transformers and related infrastructure to build new grid-based charging involves a lot of work and "those are not recoverable expenses," Martin adds. Mobile power generators (MPG), however, are a different story. "You can deploy it somewhere and redeploy it somewhere else if the needs shift," he says.
GM's MPG technology comes in various sizes that appeal to different customers, including branches of the US armed forces. Construction sites are another optimal customer in light of increasing efforts to electrify equipment like bulldozers and excavators. "They need the charging to come to the equipment, rather than the equipment going somewhere to be charged," Mercurio explains. Recreation is another useful application, for example at ski resorts or lakes where EVs are used but not year-round.
Hydrogen Generators
GM's fuel cell ambitions don't stop at transport. The company is developing fuel-cell generators for large-scale data centers, in case the power goes out. Companies like Microsoft and Google are finding it more and more difficult to receive permits to install diesel generators. "They can go much faster by installing fuel cells and hydrogen," Mercurio says.
Military customers are similarly interested in the fuel cell generators, GM says. That's because they offer a low heat signature, low emissions and a lack of exhaust smell. Diesel generators, by contrast, have created risks. Military personnel are required to wear personal protective equipment when working around diesel units — including equipment around the ears. "Not only, as a soldier, are you working around something that is noisy and smelly and giving away your location, but now you have no situational awareness," Martin says. And fuel cell generators offer a bonus. "Fuel cells, as a technology, emit water as a byproduct, which is attractive to the military as they are looking at the logistics of moving water around here and there."
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