Most of the developing world, where energy and environmental problems abound, still gets around on 2 wheels. Only 2% of the 1.5 billion population in China owns a car and cities have started banning the use of 2-stroke engine motorcycles in favor of LPG scooters and electric bicycles (15 million new electric bicycles were purchased in 2007).
The trend is expected to continue as more people need to travel further each year as economies continue to grow. At the same time, both purchasing power constraints and air pollution issues will stimulate the need for low cost, zero carbon transportation solutions.
Horizon is strategically positioned to develop and implement such solutions as technology costs continue to decrease, and practical fuel solutions continue to develop. Experiments with Horizon products are starting to take place in various parts of the world as a way to accelerate implementation of a hydrogen economy on smaller scale first, which in turn creates a critical mass encouraging further infrastructure deployments.
Range Extender Electric Vehicles
Hybrid powered electric Bikes, eCargoBikes, Bakfietsen, mopeds & motorcycles.
We can already notice that around the world, municipal initiatives are surfacing in support of bicycle and electric bicycles to decrease urban traffic congestion and air pollution.
Zero-carbon fuel cell based systems developed by Horizon can be used to extend battery-electric bicycle runtimes by a factor of 3, and to reduce battery charging time from several hours to less than 30 minutes.
Since 2003, Horizon has been working on making fuel cell costs attractive, and fuel solutions practical - with real commercial products, in other markets. It has also started to partner with experts in the field in several countries around the world in order to start introducing commercial fuel cell bikes.
Fuel Cell Bicycle
One of these initiatives could lead to the deployment of integrated fuel cell bicycle solutions, as an inexpensive fuel cell demonstration option.
The idea is quite simple
the budget required to run one demonstration fuel cell automobile or bus can be over the equivalent of hundreds of Horizon-powered fuel cell electric bicycles with a higher hydrogen refueling infrastructure utilization rate.
The fuel cell systems (models H-100 till H-300) in these light electric vehicle applications are much smaller than for automobiles and light trucks (H-2000 till H-5000) or mopeds (H-500) and motorcycles (H-1000), requiring less hydrogen, with readily available hydrogen storage, incl. home/small business (re-)filling technologies - making the proposition easy, save and attractive.
HydroBike
In de loop der jaren zijn er vele toepassingen reeds gerealisseerd en met Horixon fuel cell technology en wereldwijde netwerk, nu ook binnen handbereik in de Benelux.
Ontwikkelingen van eBike Range Extenters, Hybride Tuk-Tuk tot de waterstof-fiets...
Echter niet innovatief typisch Made in Holland maar; Made in China....
The fuel cell bicycles have a top speed of 25 km/h, and can travel 300 km on a hydrogen refill. With many more fuel cell vehicles on the road, visibility is increased, meaning that the investment in public outreach and education is more efficient.
Also, while providing mobility, the systems on the bicycles are also small portable power systems able to run radios, computers, lights, power tools, medical equipment, even generate heat.
The possibilities are endless and the start of a critical mass can spark wider deployment of higher power applications including fuel cell powered automobiles.
A first Horizon fuel cell was integrated to an electric bicycle in early 2007, and a first sale of the product was made in the same year. Following Horizon's continuous developments in miniaturization and system optimization, the team greatly reduced the size and costs of its systems for commercial applications such as bicycles, making deployment initiatives easier to start.
With further developments in this area, our partners are getting ready to deploy fuel cell bicycles in much larger volumes and can place light electric vehicles into any fleet around the world.
Applications for the fuel cell bicycle system include police mobility, pedicabs, recreation and accessibility, utility and cargo, maintenance crews and delivery services.
Horizon will be releasing a Fuel Cell Bicycle Range Extender kit in the next couple of months which will contain everything you need to add a fuel cell to an electric bicycle to boost power and range.
Hydrobike 2012
The bike you've seen in the video is no longer available however you could of course design your own.
The components you require will depend on your design requirements (hybridized with battery or running only on hydrogen, required range, type of hydrogen storage etc.)
By hybridizing with a battery, the fuel cell can supply base load power but the battery can be used where short bursts of higher power are needed, for example acceleration and hill climbing. This means that you can use a smaller and lighter fuel cell than with just fuel cell, yet have a longer range than with battery alone.
Most of the developing world, where energy and environmental problems abound, still gets around on 2 wheels. Only 2% of the 1.5 billion population in China owns a car and cities have started banning the use of 2-stroke engine motorcycles in favor of LPG scooters and electric bicycles (15 million new electric bicycles were purchased in 2007).
the budget required to run one demonstration fuel cell automobile or bus can be over the equivalent of hundreds of Horizon-powered fuel cell electric bicycles with a higher hydrogen refueling infrastructure utilization rate.
