February 2020

to the point. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are extremely complex. However, for technicians, they bear a resemblance to the internal combustion engine in many ways. FCEVs have complex electronically controlled fuel and storage systems and air intake and exhaust systems; many of the things that a technician is used to. There are many sensors and actuators that operate in a similar way to those installed in an internal combustion engine, things that you will not find on a full electric vehicle. I believe that FCEVs offer the repair sector a more viable chance of survival and will allow the skill level to remain in the industry. EVs are popular because we already have electricity and a means to charge them. Although, in my opinion, the reality of the infrastructure supporting every single vehicle is highly unlikely. Hydrogen FCEVs are not as popular as battery electric vehicles as, currently, there is a very limited refuelling infrastructure. Manufacturers are less inclined to produce FCEVs if they are not able to sell them. After all, who would buy a vehicle that you could only refuel at 20 or so filling stations across the UK? But what comes first? The chicken or the egg? www.aftermarketonline.net FEBRUARY 2020 AFTERMARKET 23 www.aftermarketonline.net would be produced in order to produce the amount of hydrogen that would be required to fuel a world full of FCEVs. Hydrogen is the most abundant element known but does not occur naturally as a single element and requires an extraction process which will, inevitably, create CO2 emissions. Consider though, if the world had to switch tomorrow to vehicles that were fully electric. Would it even be possible? How difficult and time consuming would it be to ensure that every house, street, car park, supermarket, service station was able to provide sufficient charging infrastructure? How many miles and miles of roads would need to be dug up to install miles and miles of copper cabling for charging points? Would the national grid be able to cope with the demand? How many motorway service stations and local petrol stations would go out of business? The hydrogen fuel cell, although controversial, eliminates many of these concerns. Existing fuel stations and service stations could simply be converted to hydrogen filling stations, either by on-site storage tanks that are regularly filled or by installing electrolyser systems that produce hydrogen on-site. In theory, the transition to hydrogen powered vehicles could happen almost overnight without a massive impact to businesses, car owners and the general public. What about the repair sector? Back The future for automotive power train is still up for grabs