Gelsenkirchen, April 12, 2007: Masterflex Brennstoffzellentechnik GmbH, a subsidiary of Gelsenkirchen-based Masterflex AG, is presenting the production-ready "Cargobike" with fuel cell drive at the Hannover Messe Energy 2007 at the Energy Agency NRW stand (Hall 13, Stand E 60). This means that the prototype presented to the public in 2006 has been developed to production readiness within one year.
The Cargobike is equipped with the latest Masterflex 250 watt fuel cell system. In addition to the drive energy, additional electricity can be provided, for example, for lighting the vehicle or cooling goods to be transported.
This does not produce any CO2 or particulate matter emissions. The Cargobike meets all the requirements for climate-neutral and sustainable mobility.
Furthermore, the drive technology has been significantly improved. This has significantly expanded the range of applications for the Cargobike.
The "form follows function" concept has proven its worth. Thanks to its modular design, the vehicle can be equipped with various superstructures.
The Cargobike is particularly suitable for applications in inner-city logistics, e.g. for postal service providers, municipal cleaning services and operational plant traffic (airports and industrial plants), etc. T-Com has already been relying on the innovative technology from Masterflex since the soccer World Cup.
From now on, the Cargobikes will be sold to commercial customers. In addition, at least 40 Cargobikes will be deployed in four regions of Europe over the next two years as part of the HyChain-MINITRANS project.
Masterflex places a very significant emphasis on the safety of the entire system. Thus, the fuel cell was equipped with the new Low Pressure Security "Lopes" safety system (patent pending). A key element of Lopes is a pressure reducer that ensures that the pressure in the hydrogen system is always below ambient pressure. This makes it physically impossible for hydrogen to escape into the environment through leakage. In addition to the high level of safety, Lopes also enables significantly simplified system integration, as additional safety equipment is completely unnecessary.
Safety is a top priority in the selection of the lithium-ion batteries for buffering the electrical energy that supplies the drive and the other electrical consumers. The new lithium batteries are supplied by Li-Tec and feature significantly improved intrinsic cell safety. This is made possible by new electrodes and ceramic separators from Degussa.
Further information:
At the exhibition booth in Hall 13, Booth E 60.
Masterflex Fuel Cell Technology GmbH