Germany and Japan are collaborating on the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Germany and Japan are stepping up cooperation in developing hydrogen-powered vehicles to reduce reliance on electric batteries and fossil fuels.

During his recent visit to Japan, German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder surveyed a series of hydrogen projects by Toyota and several other major industrial companies.

German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder recently made a special trip to Japan to survey hydrogen projects, a sector that both Berlin and Tokyo see as key to the future of clean transport.

The highlight of the trip was his travel in two hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from BMW and Toyota, a clear message about his ambition to bring this technology to the mass market.

BMW and Toyota are currently collaborating on the development of the third generation of hydrogen fuel cell powertrains. The goal is to create a more compact, efficient, and mass-producible system.

Once finalized, BMW will manufacture the technology in Austria, while Toyota will implement it in Japan. The German automaker expects to launch its first commercial hydrogen vehicle in 2028, while Toyota will also upgrade its existing hydrogen vehicle lineup with the new platform.

According to the German Transport Minister, the collaboration between the two leading automotive groups is a groundbreaking step that will help reduce reliance on traditional electric batteries and fossil fuels.

Germany and Japan have been collaborating on hydrogen energy since 2019, but both acknowledge that it is an extremely complex task.

Germany forecasts a sharp increase in demand for green hydrogen, a type of hydrogen produced using renewable electricity, by 2030. However, the country is unlikely to be able to fully meet this demand and will have to import large quantities.

Japan also aims to increase its hydrogen production capacity to 12 million tons per year by 2040, while promoting ammonia production as a means of transporting and storing hydrogen.

Despite high expectations, the use of hydrogen is still in the experimental stage. During his visit to Japan, Mr. Schnieder visited the port of Kobe – home to the world's first liquid hydrogen terminal, which is currently only serving experimental purposes.

At Kansai Airport in Osaka, fuel cell-powered buses and forklifts are also currently only operating in pilot projects.

The two countries have recently accelerated cooperation to build a commercial hydrogen supply chain. In the truck sector, Germany is ahead of Japan in hydrogen refueling infrastructure. The German government has allocated 220 million euros to build up to 40 hydrogen refueling stations and put around 400 hydrogen trucks into operation.

Daimler Truck has also opened its first liquid hydrogen refueling station for trucks in Germany. Meanwhile, Japan only has compressed hydrogen refueling stations.

Fuso's H2FC liquid hydrogen truck – the first model in Japan to use this technology – is still only a concept vehicle.

Germany aims for 75% of newly registered heavy commercial vehicles to use zero-emission fuel by 2030. The majority will be battery electric vehicles, but hydrogen is expected to account for a significant proportion.

Japan has not yet set a similar target, but it is clear that both economies are viewing hydrogen as a strategic asset in the global energy transition race.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/duc-va-nhat-ban-hop-tac-phat-trien-xe-chay-hydro-post1110957.vnp