Can fuel cell technology become the new energy core?

　　Hydrogen fuel cell, as an alternative powertrain energy source, has not yet been widely commercialized and popularized. The fundamental reason lies in the high technical cost and the urgent need to improve the infrastructure construction. However, in view of increasingly severe environmental issues and technological limitations that have not yet been broken through, I still believe that we should continue to work towards the use of hydrogen fuel cells as a necessary supplementary energy for pure electric vehicles.

　　Today, pure electric vehicles have become synonymous with zero-emission travel. But in many cases, electric vehicles cannot meet all our needs. For example, when driving long distances, a high degree of automation and short charging time are essential. In the future, personal travel and business needs will derive a variety of usage scenarios, and hybrid powertrains will continue to develop accordingly to meet the needs of people in different situations.

　　Hydrogen fuel cell, as an alternative powertrain energy source, has not yet been widely commercialized and popularized. The fundamental reason lies in the high technical cost and the urgent need to improve the infrastructure construction. However, in view of increasingly severe environmental issues and technological limitations that have not yet been broken through, I still believe that we should continue to work towards the use of hydrogen fuel cells as a necessary supplementary energy for pure electric vehicles.

　　The independent electrolysis station can be financed through private equity funds, so that this efficient infrastructure construction can be quickly rolled out. In fact, H2-Mobility, a joint venture jointly established by several Japanese auto giants, plans to build 80 hydrogen refueling stations by March 2022. Some countries, such as Japan, South Korea and Germany, and even some regions, such as California in the United States, have taken the lead in taking actions and active deployments, planning to build more than 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations in the next five years.

　　As far as "green" electricity is concerned, hydrogen energy is the most efficient energy storage solution: it can store electricity generated by non-continuous power generation renewable energy sources (such as solar or wind energy, etc.). For example, the hydrogen produced by 70m2 solar panels can support vehicles traveling 20,000 kilometers. Compared with ordinary batteries, the production of fuel cells requires fewer key materials, and hydrogen is also the most abundant element in the universe, and there is no problem of recycling at all.

　　Fuel cell technology is an attractive supplementary substitute in this field. The endurance and refueling time of fuel cell electric vehicles are comparable to those of gasoline vehicles, but they can achieve completely zero emissions. Fuel cells are particularly promising in the field of trucks and commercial vehicles, which will inevitably accelerate the development of this technology. Companies such as Pepsi and DHL have already used fuel cell vehicles in their distribution business. I believe this will become a new standard in the industry, especially for cities that cause severe air pollution due to terminal distribution. By 2030, it is estimated that at least 2 million new cars and more than 350,000 new trucks will be equipped with fuel cell technology.

　　In view of this, Faurecia Group has decided to invest 15 million euros in fuel cell research and development every year, in order to fully stimulate the potential of this technology in the automotive industry. In the past year, we have joined forces with R&D and technical experts to help the company overcome various technical challenges and tailor high-performance systems for the three key components that account for up to 80% of the value of the technology: with Stelia Aerospace Composites Cooperate in the development of high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks; co-produce pressure valves to improve the energy efficiency of hydrogen storage with the French start-up company Ad-Venta; and jointly build high-performance fuel cell stacks with the French Commission for Atomic Energy and Alternative Energy (CEA). This is another example of Faurecia's open innovation and our true competitive advantage.

　　With the maturity of fuel cell technology and the development of fuel supply infrastructure, Faurecia's ultimate goal is to cut the cost of fuel cell stacks in half, making it an attractive solution for vehicle manufacturers, and finally incorporating fuel cells into electric vehicles The must-have choice. We believe that the attention of various stakeholders to fuel cell technology will prompt us to realize the industrialization of fuel cells and strive to build fuel cells into a clean and efficient source of vehicle power.

　　Here, I am honored to announce that Faurecia has recently signed an important contract with a well-known international vehicle manufacturer. The two parties will jointly develop a fuel cell-driven, high-pressure hydrogen storage system for light commercial vehicle fleets, which is expected to be officially put into use in early 2021. .

　　Hydrogen energy will become a key part of the future energy system, because hydrogen is produced from a wide range of sources, which will help realize the diversification of national energy supply and the integration of renewable energy. In addition, hydrogen is easy to store and can achieve true zero emission of carbon dioxide.

　　In summary, I firmly believe that in the next ten years, fuel cell technology will become an important energy solution, especially in the field of automotive hybrid powertrains. To achieve its large-scale application in the automotive industry, short-term technological improvements and breakthroughs in cost reduction are the only way to go.