00:00 The global population is growing.
00:07 More and more energy and resources are needed.
00:11 Goods are being transported around the world, resulting in ever higher levels of CO2 emissions.
00:18 Transportation needs to become climate neutral.
00:21 Could hydrogen engines be the solution for long-haul vehicles?
00:28 We see the advantages of a hydrogen combustion engine when it comes to heavy-duty vehicles,
00:34 high-load vehicles and high-durability vehicles.
00:37 Internal combustion engines are durable and can deliver millions of kilometers in performance.
00:44 It's actually very simple.
00:46 You can refit a classic diesel combustion engine, thereby turning it into a hydrogen
00:51 engine that's completely climate neutral.
00:54 And that way, old diesel engines get refitted instead of being junked.
00:59 The pistons, among other components, need to be modified.
01:05 Automotive suppliers like Mahle are adapting and producing the components for the new hydrogen
01:10 engines.
01:12 Demand from engine builders is high.
01:17 We're using this 7.8-litre diesel engine that we've fit with hydrogen components.
01:29 We left everything the way it was because the engine's a good starting point.
01:33 That's why we chose it and just added the hydrogen components.
01:39 We convert basic diesel engines into hydrogen engines.
01:45 Hydrogen also has a very low ignition temperature, which means you need very little energy to
01:50 ignite it.
01:51 That's why we need to install an ample amount of control technology.
01:56 The engine is being stress-tested using a continuous load.
02:00 It's scheduled to go into series production by 2024.
02:03 At first, they'll be used to power generators for construction sites and hospitals.
02:10 Demand for hydrogen will continue to rise for commercial and private vehicles too.
02:17 The German National Hydrogen Council estimates that demand for hydrogen fuel is expected
02:22 to increase by more than eightfold by 2050.
02:28 If you want to have hydrogen on the road, then you have to fulfill certain requirements,
02:34 like building filling stations.
02:36 The vehicles would have to use them for the stations to be economically viable.
02:42 So 400 cars would be needed.
02:45 That would be difficult because there are only a few hydrogen cars around.
02:50 But a fleet of 20 trucks would be enough to make it economically viable, especially for
02:55 commercial and fleet transport.
03:00 The price of hydrogen at filling stations is still relatively high.
03:04 But once the infrastructure is in place, the prices should go down.
03:08 A car, for example, needs one kilo of hydrogen per 100 kilometers.
03:13 In 12 years' time, the price of hydrogen is expected to go down by more than half, from
03:18 14 euros to just over 6.
03:24 Engine manufacturer Deutz develops and produces engines for commercial vehicles.
03:29 Engine propulsion has many advantages for tractors, agricultural vehicles and trains.
03:36 If you have a very large machine that has, say, 300 horsepower and it's run with a heavy
03:44 load for a long time, it needs a lot of power, such as with excavators.
03:51 Then you'd need so much energy that the battery would have to get bigger and bigger.
03:57 And with an excavator, at some point, it's hard to build a big enough battery.
04:05 If the necessary infrastructure is built, then hydrogen engines could help to create
04:09 a more climate-friendly future.
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