Joint venture agreed for e.GO REX GmbH to develop and produce fuel cell range extenders for e.GO Movers and the third party market
Aachen / Puchheim 17 October 2018 – The electric car company e.GO Mobile AG in Aachen and Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH based in Puchheim, a subsidiary of Proton Power Systems PLC specialising in fuel cell systems, are today announcing the establishment of their joint venture to be founded in 2018 and to be named e.GO REX GmbH.
e.GO REX GmbH will develop and produce a compact, mass-produced fuel cell system with 22 to 30 kW as a range extender for serial plug-in hybrid vehicles such as the e.GO Mover electric minibus. This system will be available as from 2021 to other OEMs and vehicle refitters in the market.
“The special feature of the range extender developed by e.GO and Proton Motor is that the fuel cell is designed only to be stationary in line with the average energy requirement and does not directly drive the electric motor but charges the battery. This makes it much easier to industrialise the system according to all the rules of the art, “said Professor Günther Schuh, CEO of e.GO Mobile AG.
The concept studies carried out jointly by e.GO and Proton Motor indicate that the prerequisites for scalable components (bipolar plates, stacks, compressors, inverters, cooling systems and tanks) for significantly more cost-effective systems are now given. In order to carry out further research on cost reduction and scaling potentials, the centre “Industrialisation Fuel Cell” is being founded on the RWTH Aachen Campus under the direction of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology.
e.GO REX GmbH´s new proprietary fuel cell system will first be used as a range extender in the e.GO Mover electric minibus. A first test vehicle is currently being set up. As from 2021, annually up to 15,000 e.GO movers are to be equipped with the fuel cell range extender.
“The combination of e.GO’s industrialisation expertise and Proton Motor’s technology know-how enables us to offer jointly a high-quality and cost-effective fuel cell system “Made in Germany”. Our current HyRange® fuel cell systems provide an excellent basis for this, according to Dr. Faiz Francois Nahab, CEO of Proton Motor Fuel Cell Systems.
e.GO Mobile AG will hold a majority stake in the joint venture e.GO REX GmbH, whose business purpose is the development, industrialisation, production and marketing of fuel cell systems for mobile applications.
e.GO Mobile AG
e.GO Mobile AG was founded in 2015 by Professor Dr. Guenther Schuh as a manufacturer of electric vehicles. On the RWTH Aachen campus, the 300 employees so far benefit not only from the trailblazer StreetScooter, but also from the campus’s unique network of research facilities and its 360 technology companies. Agile teams work with a variety of low-cost and customer-focused electric vehicles for short-haul traffic. For serial production, e.GO Mobile AG is going into operation of its new plant in Rothe Erde, Aachen.
Contact Partner:
e.GO Mobile AG
Christine Häußler
Public Relations
Campus-Boulevard 30
52074 Aachen
T +49 241 47574-206
presse@e-go-mobile.com
About Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH
Proton Motor is an expert in Power Solutions using CleanTech technologies such as industrial fuel cells, fuel cell and hybrid systems with more than 20 years of experience in this sector. Based in Puchheim near Munich, Proton Motor offers complete fuel cell and hybrid systems from a single source – from the development and production through the implementation of customized solutions. The focus of Proton Motor is on back-to-base, for example, for mobile, marine and stationary solutions applications. The product portfolio consists of base-fuel cell systems, standard complete systems, as well as customized systems.
Proton Motor serves IT, Telecoms, public infrastructure and healthcare customers in Germany, Europe and Middle East with power supply solutions for DC and AC power demand. In addition to power supply, SPower also offers solutions for Solar Systems as well as a new product line for Solar Energy Storage.
Proton Motor Fuel Cells GmbH is wholly owned subsidiary of Proton Power Systems plc. The Company has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since October 2006 (code: PPS).
Contact Partner:
Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH
Manfred Limbrunner
Director Sales & Marketing
Benzstraße 7, 82178 Puchheim
T +49 89 1276265-11, Fax -99
sales@proton-motor.de