In an interview with journalists at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, Chairman of Audi Board of Management, Bram Schot, announced that the automaker would be increasing its investment in fuel cell technology.

BY ANTUAN GOODWIN
MARCH 5, 2019
...."now we are going to put more priority into fuel cells." Schot went on to explain that scarcity of raw materials for batteries and increased supply will eventually push any automaker serious about electrification toward hydrogen as a fuel source stating "at the end of the day, batteries are not sustainable enough -- it is sustainable, but if you want to go all the way, you need fuel cells."

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/audi-increasing-investment-in-hydrogen-fuel-cell/

Ikke så merkelig at Audi / VW Group velger Hexagon Composites til denne helt kritisk viktige komponenten innenfor FCEV/H2-biler. Hexagon's gasstrykktanker har gjennom mange år i praktisk bruk bevist at både sikkerheten og kvaliteten er på topp, og med de høyeste nivåer av godkjennelser og certifikater på plass. Også i USA.

Dette handler om sikkerhet og kvalitet, noe som er helt avgjørende for FC-industrien fremover. Hvis det skjedde noe som bare kunne ligne en "Hindenburg luftskipskatastrofe" på mininivå p.g.a. en dårlig/utett H2-tank, så kunne/ville det sette FC/H2-industrien tilbake med mange år.

Jeg tror at Hexagon på dette området er i særklasse når det gjelder kvalitet og troverdighet i verden i dag, og har mange års forspring på evt. andre produsenter/konkurrenter.

Dette markedet vil bli enormt stort om få år, og omfatte mye vei-, tog- og skips-transport, industri og byggninger/boliger, så det er mange gode grunner til å se veldig optimistisk på selskapets vekstutsikter framover.

Nice, Europe just has to follow Japan and S Korea.

Right, we really don't want more news like this:
https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Plug-Power-sued-over-forklift-fatality-13196864.php

I understood that this case is more or less clear by now and one root cause was a defect in the hydrogen tank. Obviously it wasn't from HEX because we haven't got any such information from the company.

This is a nice presentation form HEX including some more technical details:

https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/08/f55/fcto-truck-workshop-2018-13-rashilla.pdf

Thanks for PLUG-story. And for an interesting Hexagon product presentation.

Noticed this in the presentation: ..." The only Type 4 tank producer that combines technical success with significant manufacturing capacity"...

and that probable means effective high volume robotized production at highest quality level...

and also: "Best in class winding rate = lower capex". Which also probably means "highly cost competetive."

And some company "headlines" worth mentioning is from this very informative and interesting HEX- presentation:

https://www.hexagongroup.com/download.aspx?OBJECT_ID=/upload_images/6C24F34D56074B37B01B733D9B983BD1.pdf

from Feb. 27, 2019:

Why Hexagon?

•Decades of experience of mass production and working with leading
OEMs

•Years ahead of competition on the hydrogen learning curve

•Technical leadership within Hydrogen industry: Projects with
leading OEMs across multiple applications

•Agility enables integrated hydrogen fuel systems

• Strong industrial owner & strategic alliance with Mitsui

• Long lasting client relationships

And now an explosion in Stockholm, this time biogas bus:

https://www.thelocal.se/20190310/bus-fire-in-central-stockholm

Let's see what the reason has been. At least we now know that the safety issues must be on the first priority in all gas driven vehichles.

"Well, that's what happens when rules and regulations aren't respected. Police call it an accident. Like when buildings with natural gas installations explode and burn down.

Happily that bus wasn't crowded with passengers. And that driver obviously needs a lot more education. Or to be fired. As far as I've read, that bus was not allowed by the bus-company to drive through that tunnel .

Human errors and stupidity some times result in terrible tragedies.

Var det stål mot stål - og dermed gnister - som antente biogassen/metanen og utløste eksplosjonen - og brannen??

I så fall bør de jo skifte ut ståltankene med Hexagon-tanker, som er flettet compositt ( carbon fiber composite ). Det vil redusere muligheten/risikoen for gnister og antennelse av gassen til et minimum.

Kanskje dette gir nye kunder til Hexagon? Det bør det i så fall gjøre. Myndighetene / lovene kan jo sørge for at det skjer fort.


Teknisk chef: ”Finns en risk”

Karl Orton, teknisk chef på Keolis, berättar att det finns omkring 2 200 gasbussar i Sverige och att Keolis har ungefär en fjärdedel av dem.

.....Det här var en olyckshändelse och bussen råkade ta eld. Det vi frågar oss är hur det kommer sig att den fattade eld, kanske var det stål mot stål som skapade gnistor? Det får den tekniska utredningen och brandutredningen titta på nu, säger han.

https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/flera-bussar-har-kraschat-pa-exakt-samma-plats/