Skip to main content

Methanol range extender for fuel cell vehicle

The innovative QBeak electric car is to benefit from a sophisticated methanol fuel cell range extender that will give it a range of at least 800km. Development work is being carried out on the project by a consortium of Danish companies. The plan is to develop a novel, range-extended electric vehicle that uses biomethanol as a fuel source. TheModularEnergyCarrier concept (MECc) project has just been granted funding from the Danish government. The reworked electric car is expected to deliver high market pote
July 17, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSThe innovative QBeak electric car is to benefit from a sophisticated methanol fuel cell range extender that will give it a range of at least 800km. Development work is being carried out on the project by a consortium of Danish companies. The plan is to develop a novel, range-extended electric vehicle that uses biomethanol as a fuel source. TheModularEnergyCarrier concept (MECc) project has just been granted funding from the Danish government. The reworked electric car is expected to deliver high market potential due to a competitive price and specifications that can be adapted to the user’s individual requirements. This versatility is delivered by the use of methanol-fuelled fuel cells for range extension.

The concept vehicle is based on the QBeak electric car, now in the final phase of development by ECOmove. The car essentially has six energy slots distributed through its structure that can each contain battery, fuel cell, or methanol tank. This allows the on-board energy storage to be adapted to different needs. The basic range-extended model will have a 2.5kW fuel cell and tank occupying two slots, but the modular design means that more fuel cell plus tank modules can be added if longer range is required by the customer. The project partners say that the car will have a range of at least 800km.

The QBeak is a plug-in type vehicle: the concept allows the customer the flexibility of recharging the batteries during off-peak periods when electricity costs are low, or filling up with methanol in a few minutes when that convenience is desired.

EV industry cluster Insero E-Mobility is managing the project, and it is being funded under the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program (EDDP), which supports the development of technologies to make Denmark independent of fossil fuels by 2050.

Related Content

  • Air Liquide and partners to increase hydrogen fuel cell taxis in France
    February 26, 2019
    Air Liquide has entered into a joint venture called HysetCo to boost the number of hydrogen fuel cell taxis in the Île-de-France region to 600 by 2020. The company says HysetCo will make it easier to roll out hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and their recharging infrastructure. It will also aim to cut emissions for taxis and chauffeur car providers to zero by the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. HysetCo members include energy and environment services company Idex, hydrogen taxi firm Société du Taxi Électrique Parisi
  • Trailer telematics a catalyst for fleet optimisation, Finds Frost & Sullivan
    July 2, 2012
    The trailer telematics market is fast developing into a major growth engine for the commercial vehicles telematics market in Europe. Immense opportunities await telematics vendors as a majority of the trailer population in Europe (as well as North America) remains underpenetrated. Within the trailer telematics market, trailer location and tracking is the most developed application. However, security concerns and the need for effective mobile asset monitoring and management are creating several new applicati
  • Nissan’s new analysis method may boost driving range of EVs
    May 16, 2016
    Nissan Motor Company and Nissan Arc have jointly developed an atomic analysis methodology that they claim will aid in boosting the performance of lithium-ion batteries and ultimately extend the driving range of zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs). The breakthrough was the result of a combined R&D effort between Nissan Arc, a Nissan subsidiary, Tohoku University, the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) and Japan Science and Technolo
  • L-Charge EV project turns to crowdfunding
    December 15, 2021
    Crowdfunding amount would fund half of the project