Member Article

Proton Power Systems wins road approval from German authorities

Fuel celll manufacturer Proton Power Systems has secured road approval from the German authorities for its HyRange System for buses and light duty vehicles.

The Newcastle-registered firm has developed the fuel cell/battery hybrid for bus and commercial vehicle manufacturers.

Much of Proton’s work is carried out through its subsidiary, Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH, based in Germany near Munich.

The HyRange system was fitted to a 7.5 ton to 12 ton electric truck for testing in the country, over 24 months.

Germany currently has 15 hydrogen fuelling stations in operation and plans to expand the network to 100 stations by the end of 2018 and 400 stations by 2023.

John Wall, the Newcastle-based chairman of Proton, said: “We are very pleased to have finalised the complex process of road approval for our HyRange system. This allows the regular operation of the vehicle with our fuel cell range extender and significantly extends the operating range and on board power of an electric truck.

“It also opens the door for the operation of such vehicles in commercial applications and demonstrates to customers that HyRange is ready for regular operation.

“The HyRange system addresses the needs of bus and light duty vehicle manufacturers. The continued expansion of filling stations in Germany and Europe will support the market introduction of hydrogen fuel cell technology for mobile applications.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .