Partnership with Qingling Motors
German automotive supplier Bosch has established the joint venture Bosch Hydrogen Powertrain Systems with Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer Qingling Motors.
The new company will develop, assemble, and market fuel cell systems, known as fuel cell power modules, for the Chinese market. With this partnership, Bosch and Qingling Motors intend to combine their technology and market expertise. To this end, the Bosch press release states the goal of contributing to the development of the fuel cell market in the country and to the transformation of the automotive industry there.
As early as this year, there will be a test fleet of 70 Qingling trucks equipped with Bosch’s Fuel Cell Power Module. The market launch of the fuel cell system is planned for 2022/2023. It is planned that all Chinese vehicle manufacturers will be supplied.
Commenting on the establishment of the joint venture, Stefan Hartung, Bosch board of management member and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector, said: “We are now literally picking up speed in the industrialization of fuel cells. Innovative technologies and strategic partnerships are the ideal fuel for rapidly achieving the goal of making road traffic as climate-neutral as possible.”
Hydrogen future expected
Bosch not only has its sights set on the Chinese market, but already on the global market. For example, the automotive supplier writes of its new partnership with Qingling Motors: “Bosch is taking the next step to help fuel cells achieve a global breakthrough as an emission-free drive solution.”
Likewise, the group emphasizes that it believes in a hydrogen future and is continuously investing in this area. For China alone, it is assumed that more than one million vehicles with fuel cell drive systems will be registered there in 2030. This is based on forecasts by the China Society of Automotive Engineers (China-SAE), to which Bosch refers.
Source: www.kloepfel-consulting.com