What Is A Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle?
Such an electric vehicle does not use power stored in a battery but is driven by electricity generated from hydrogen fuel cell.
Adani Enterprises Ltd., the flagship of billionaire Gautam Adani-controlled group, plans to develop a hydrogen fuel cell electric truck for mining logistics and transportation along with Ashok Leyland Ltd. and Canada’s Ballard Power Systems.
Such an electric vehicle does not use power stored in a battery but is driven by electricity generated from hydrogen. The fuel cell generates electricity from the chemical reaction when hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water.
An advantage such vehicles have over battery-powered EVs is that they can be refuelled in minutes, just like internal combustion engines vehicles. But fuel cell electric vehicles do no produce harmful emissions, with water and heat being the by-products.
PEM or polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, which will power the truck being jointly developed by Adani Enterprises, is used most commonly.
It has a positive and a negative electrode at either ends, with an electrolyte membrane with catalyst in between, according to an explainer by Alternative Fuels Data Center of the U.S. Department of Energy. Hydrogen is passed through the the negative end (anode in this case). Its molecules break into protons and electrons in the fuel cell. While protons pass through the positive end (cathode), electrons are forced into an external circuit, producing power. They recombine at the positive end and react with oxygen from the air to form water.
Reference: U.S. Department of Energy
Disclaimer: Adani Enterprises is in the process of acquiring a 49% stake in Quintillion Business Media Ltd., the owner of BQ Prime.