VANCOUVER, BC and LAS VEGAS, May 20, 2024
/CNW/ - Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP) (TSX: BLDP) today
unveils its 9th generation, high-performance fuel cell
engine, the FCmove®-XD, at the Advanced Clean
Transportation (ACT) Expo at the Las
Vegas Convention Center. Ballard is exhibiting at Booth 1821
from May 20-23, 2024.
"We are laser focused on strengthening the economic value
proposition for heavy-duty mobility customers," said Mircea Gradu, Ballard's Chief Engineering
Officer. "With the unveiling of our 9th generation of
fuel cell engine –
the FCmove®-XD – we continue to
push the boundaries and are once again raising the bar and
re-setting the industry standard for PEM fuel cell engine
performance. Our innovative FCmove®-XD delivers
significant improvements in reliability, durability, efficiency,
power density, scalability, serviceability, and total cost of
ownership."
The FCmove®-XD delivers the highest volumetric power
density in the industry for heavy-duty applications, featuring an
engine volumetric power density of 0.36 kW/L and gravimetric power
density of 0.48 kW/kg. The scalable
120 kW fuel cell engine integrates DC/DC
regulated output, enabling up to three modules to operate as one
system with a single interface, capable of delivering a combined
360 kW of zero-emission power output.
With a design life of 30,000+ hours of
operation – or over one million miles in truck
operation at typical duty cycles –
the FCmove®-XD engine is developed to deliver
class-leading durability and low total cost of ownership.
Enabled by an innovative "open architecture" design and other
new design advances, the powerful and
compact FCmove®-XD enables several important
performance improvements (as compared to our prior-generation
engine), including:
- 120 kW power output from our latest high-performance single
stack;
- 33% reduction in total parts count, significantly improving
reliability and reducing costs;
- Ultra-high peak system efficiency at >60%, enabling improved
fuel consumption (lower total cost of ownership) and efficient heat
rejection;
- Wide operating temperature range, up to 95°C;
- Integrated power controller incorporates DC/DC converter, air
compressor inverter, and a power distribution unit, along with
proprietary software controls, enables improved engine operation
and efficiency;
- Rapid up and down transient times, with an innovative hot
stand-by mode enabling rapid power increase;
- Improved manufacturability with >50% assembly time
reduction;
- Easier access to parts for faster and lower-cost field
maintenance;
- Compliance with applicable safety codes and standards;
"The power and performance requirements of the highly-segmented
truck market are particularly demanding due to various use cases,
including high vehicle utilization rates and payload requirements,"
said Silvano Pozzi, Vice President,
Product Line Management. "One of the compelling features of our new
FCmove®-XD is scalability based on modularity. We can
offer customers efficient integration of 120 kW,
240 kW, and 360 kW solutions
dependent on truck class, use case, and duty cycle. For example,
two engines, totalling 240 kW of power output,
can be easily installed in the engine compartment of a typical
Class 8 heavy-duty truck, enhancing standardization and
redundancy."
Mr. Gradu concluded, "In addition to our in-house
FCmove®-XD innovations and design improvements over the
past 3 years, we have enjoyed strong collaboration with our
maturing supply chain on new balance of plant component designs and
related non-recurring engineering, and we also made important
investments in certain production tooling. Collectively, these
integrated and parallel work streams have resulted in a category
leader, boasting higher performance on all key metrics with
significantly lower capital cost and operating costs for customers
and end users. Initial pre-launch customer engagement has been very
exciting."
Ballard plans to initially manufacture the FCmove®-XD
at its Oregon facility, enabling
"Buy America" compliance starting in 2025, with future
high-volume manufacturing expected at Ballard Rockwall Giga 1,
Ballard's recently announced 3 gigawatt
Gigafactory planned to be built in Rockwall, Texas.
About Ballard Power
Systems
Ballard Power Systems' (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) vision is to
deliver fuel cell power for a sustainable planet. Ballard
zero-emission PEM fuel cells are enabling electrification of
mobility, including buses, commercial trucks, trains, marine
vessels, and stationary power. To learn more about Ballard, please
visit www.ballard.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements concerning the
specifications and performance of the FCmove®-XD fuel
cell engine, its uses, planned volume manufacturing and scale of
market adoption . These forward-looking statements reflect
Ballard's current expectations as contemplated under section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any such
forward-looking statements are based on Ballard's assumptions
relating to its financial forecasts and expectations regarding its
product development efforts, manufacturing capacity, and market
demand.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause
Ballard's actual results to be materially different, including
general economic and regulatory changes, detrimental reliance on
third parties, successfully achieving our business plans and
achieving and sustaining profitability. For a detailed discussion
of these and other risk factors that could affect Ballard's future
performance, please refer to Ballard's most recent Annual
Information Form. Readers should not place undue reliance on
Ballard's forward-looking statements and Ballard assumes no
obligation to update or release any revisions to these
forward-looking statements, other than as required under applicable
legislation.
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SOURCE Ballard Power Systems Inc.