Life Without Oil: Microcab H2EV – 2011

Life Without Oil:
the Microcab project 2012
Meet the Engineer
MIRA 15 May 2012
John Jostins, Managing Director, Microcab Industries Ltd.
Prof. Sustainable Transport Design, Coventry University
Working in partnership with Coventry University
Microcab Industries Ltd.
10 years of hydrogen fuel cell
hybrid vehicle development.
All vehicles designed and built
from scratch to achieve low
weight and viable packaging for
hydrogen hybrid drive.
H3 2001
H4 Mk1 2005
H4 Mk2 2008
H2EV 2011
Microcab H2EV
Chassis with integrated hydrogen fuel
cell hybrid powertrain
H2EV open platform concept
Fuel cell or pure EV
EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval
5000 + units pa
Light van - 200kg payload
Compact taxi – flat floor - access
4 seat car
H2EV chassis/body
chassis built by Lotus
Bonded aluminium, lasercut flat sheet
Simulated crash testing for front offset,
side impact
Chassis weight 65kg
bodytop Structural glass composite
takes 1500kg on cant rail – roof crush
test = 1.5 x fully laden vehicle weight
Overall vehicle weight 770kg
H2EV powertrain
1.8kg H2 storage, 350bar
Range up to 120 miles
3-6kW Horizon fuel cell & DC/DC
converter - Arcola
4.3kWh lithium battery - LiFeBatt
Twin 72v DC motors, 13kW each
One speed belt drive to front
wheels
Twin motor controllers
Top speed 55mph
H2EV systems and safety
VCU – overall vehicle control
BMS on battery system
CAN control on FC, BMS, DC/DC
Inertia sensing switch – crash activates
Torque sensing on motor drive
Full compliance with EU hydrogen regs.
storage system and vehicle integration,
PRD, Excess Flow Valve, Hydrogen
sensors etc.
Vehicle Safety Case with MIRA 2011
*MIRA – Motor Industry Research Association
H2EV UK Road Legal
Vehicles operate under:
Vehicle Special Orders in UK
Road Tax – Zero
Working to:
UNECE Reg. 100 for EVs
EU Hydrogen vehicle regs. 79/2009
EU No. 406/2010
UN Global Technical Regulations –
fuel cell vehicles
Other standards:
ISO 26262 functional safety,
MISRA – software reliability
Production
Currently:
8 prototypes built so far.
Were in UK Gov. Low Carbon Vehicle trials 2011-12
New European 100 vehicle program 2012-15
UK, Belgium, Germany + 8 new H2 stations
One off cost approx. £95,000
Working with:
Lotus on chassis cost down:
One off = £7000 each
5000 units pa = £950 each
Horizon FC – very cost focussed
Vehicle cost target in 2015:
Around £20,000
IP
Currently:
3 design registrations
1 Trademark
Potential patents in vehicle control systems
Currently in 1.1mEuro FP7 program ‘Novel
ceramic tooling for microwave composites’
IP generated will be part-owned by Microcab.
Would like to:
Sell/License IP to production partner
Work with manufacturing supply chain to
reduce cost
Commercial
Grant support for projects totalling £2.5million –
AWM, DTI, BIS, DECC, TSB, EU
Coventry University minority shareholder
Need funding:
In 2012/2013 for cost-centred design and supply
chain work
Will manufacture about 6 vehicles in next batch
Quotations out for about 15 others: UK, Ireland,
Switzerland, S. Africa
There is demand for vehicles to support H2 projects,
increasingly H2 from renewable energy
Life Without Oil:
the Microcab project 2012
Thank you