HYDROTEC
The zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell solution for land, air and sea. Our vision to create a world with zero emissions goes beyond passenger vehicles.
In 2017, we put a stake in the ground and announced our ambitious vision of creating a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. Our teams are developing unique assets in our Ultium Platform and HYDROTEC fuel cell power cubes – and we’re turning them into platforms that can drive growth in the automotive industry and beyond.
WHY IT MATTERS
Leadership in fuel cell development brings new revenue potential
General Motors is the only company developing and commercializing both hydrogen fuel cells and EV battery technology, and the Ultium Platform and HYDROTEC fuel cell power cubes deliver where it matters most – performance and cost. This is opening new revenue potential for the company as industries – including freight trucking, aerospace, aircraft, locomotive – turn to GM for this technology to improve performance and reduce emissions.
The versatility of our technology can be used to power more than just consumer vehicles and has the potential to provide better energy solutions across industries on land, sea and air. We’ve made several ground-breaking announcements related to our HYDROTEC hydrogen fuel cells that demonstrate the rapid progress in monetizing our clean energy technologies and bulking up opportunities for recurring revenue beyond traditional vehicle sales.
HOW IT WORKS
Hydrogen in, water out – and no emissions
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that combine hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air to generate electricity and water. This means that hydrogen goes in, and water comes out, with no pollution. Hydrogen fuel cells can also refuel rapidly, carry heavy cargo due to the system’s efficiency in storing electrons and remain quiet during operation as they have fewer moving parts.
PROGRESS TO DATE
Investment and relationships
We’re investing $35 billion in EV and AV technology through 2025, which will accelerate our transformative strategy to become the market leader in EVs in North America and the global leader in battery and fuel cell technology. We’re working closely with Honda to develop and commercialize fuel cells for both our companies and beyond, along with jointly developing two all-new electric vehicles for Honda, based on the Ultium Platform. These high-volume processes can bring economies of scale while moving down the cost curve.
WORKING TOGETHER
Collaborations
NAVISTAR
We’re working with Navistar to help them implement a zero-emission long-haul system, supplying our HYDROTEC fuel cell power cubes for their production model fuel cell electric vehicle, the International® RHTM Series. The power cubes are compact and feature clever integration, with packaging advantages few competitive systems can match.
LIEBHERR
Bringing the best of our leadership in hydrogen fuel cell technology combined with Liebherr-Aerospace’s strong position as the leading onboard aircraft system supplier, our two companies are developing a fuel cell power generation system to demonstrate how such systems could be used in aircraft applications. The HYDROTEC hydrogen fuel cells aim to provide auxiliary power within the aircraft, helping drive more efficient performance. The goal of this collaboration is to meet needed performance requirements and lower costs and noise levels while providing an opportunity to meet zero-emissions requirements.
WABTEC
We’re collaborating with Wabtec, the leading global provider for the freight and transit rail industries, to help develop and commercialize GM’s Ultium battery and HYDROTEC hydrogen fuel cell technologies for potential use in Wabtec’s electric locomotives. Implementing these technologies for the rail industry can play a critical role in helping to decarbonize freight fleets, advancing our companies’ shared vision osf a zero emissions future in transportation.