OEM&Lieferant Ausgabe 2/2018 / OEM&Supplier Edition 2/2018

144 Fuel cell technology “Our overriding goal at Faurecia is to lower the cost of the fuel cell stack by half. As the technology matures and the refueling infrastructure develops, it is becoming a more attractive alternative for automakers in their electric vehicle range,” says Patrick Koller, Chief Executive Officer of Faurecia. He adds: “We are convinced that many stakeholders are interested in the fuel cell and will support our efforts to industrialize this clean and efficient technology.” Today, zero emissions mobility is synonymous with battery-powered electric vehicles. But there are many situations where this solution is not adapted to our needs, for example, in long-distance driving where high autonomy and short recharging times are important fac- tors. In the future, many different use cases will emerge adapted to personal mobility and business needs, the powertrain mix will evolve accordingly to meet these multiple scenarios. The hydrogen-powered fuel cell is one of these alternative powertrain energies. Today, it has still not been widely commercialized, essen- tially due to the technology cost and infra- structure issues. But given the gravity of the environmental issues and unresolved technical constraints, I believe we should work on this solution as a necessary complement to bat- tery-powered electric vehicles. Stand-alone electrolysis stations, which can be financed by private investments, could provide Is fuel cell technology the new holy grail? By Faurecia Faurecia, a leading technology company in the automotive industry, has set itself the goal of becoming a leading pro- vider of fuel cell technology. The company is convinced that this technology, which offers high autonomy and fast refueling times, will coexist alongside battery-powered electric vehicles. Images: © Faurecia Patrick Koller