AFC Energy shows off hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle charging tech

Alkaline fuel cell power company AFC Energy announced the successful demonstration of ‘CH2ARGE’ on Thursday, which it described as the “world's first” electric vehicle charger based on hydrogen fuel-cell technology.

The AIM-traded firm said the breakthrough previewed the potential to enable 100% clean electricity for future electric vehicle charging.

It said the demonstration of the CH2ARGE unit took place at Dunsfold Aerodrome, home to the BBC Top Gear test track, and saw a BMW i8 as the first car to be recharged with power generated by a hydrogen fuel cell.

The innovation took place after a decade of fuel cell research development at the AFC Energy laboratories, the board explained.

It said that, having now demonstrated proof-of-concept of the CH2ARGE prototype, it was now preparing for the commercialisation of fuel cell-based EV charge solutions to meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly power in the electric vehicle market.

Traditional charging caused pollution with electricity from fossil fuels, the company said, but the CH2ARGE system could apparently be 100% emissions free.

With rapid growth in the global EV market, and ambitious government targets for electric vehicle deployment over the short term, AFC Energy noted that UBS had forecast the investment required in new charging infrastructure to be in the order of $360bn over the next eight years.

“By 2030, it is estimated that there could be nine million electric vehicles on the roads of Britain, up from 90,000 today,” said AFC Energy chief executive officer Adam Bond.

“For this transition, we need charging stations to be embedded throughout the country, as well as seeking innovative solutions to overcome the severe limitations of centrally generated electricity.

“By developing and previewing the effectiveness of our CH2ARGE system in the application of EV charging, AFC Energy has shown it is ready to lead the way not only in solving the challenges of increased demand for electricity, but also doing so in a zero emissions approach.”

CH2ARGE incorporated AFC Energy's proprietary hydrogen fuel cell system connected to an inverter similar to those used by Toyota at their electric vehicle research centre.

The inverter transferred energy created by the fuel cell to a charger, with the system on preview supported by a 48V battery pack to assist with peak power demands.

AFC said the solution could also be tailored for both on- and off-grid applications, and scaled up as required.

The fuel cell was sized to provide sufficient power to charge EVs concurrently, and could be scaled up to provide solutions for mass recharging at supermarkets, retail venues and sports stadiums.

AFC said the inverters were controlled via AFC Energy's fuel cell control system, which ensured the safe and precise control of the complete setup.

Being integrated into AFC Energy's control system meant that product solutions could be implemented with ‘smart charging’ capabilities.