Dive Brief:
- General Motors and Honda have started hydrogen fuel cell production at their joint venture plant in Brownstown, Michigan, according to a GM press release Thursday.
- The new fuel cells will offer increased performance, twice the durability and reduced manufacturing costs compared with previous versions, GM said.
- Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between GM and Honda, operates the facility. It was established in 2017 to develop fuel cell technology, integrating the automakers’ engineering teams, expertise and intellectual property.
Dive Insight:
Since beginning their collaboration over a decade ago, the two companies have made continuous advancements in fuel cell manufacturing, according to GM. Among the improvements were increasing the use of corrosion-resistant materials and improving the low-temperature operation of fuel cells compared with the ones used in the 2019 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle.
Now, the automakers' Michigan joint venture aims to further advance fuel cell technology. GM said FCSM would focus on reducing fuel cell development and manufacturing costs through greater economies of scale.
The joint venture incorporates many industry-first techniques for automating the production of fuel cells, membrane-electrode assemblies and fuel cell stack assemblies, according to GM.
Meanwhile, the cost reduction efforts include advancing cell design, utilizing common sourcing, simplifying supporting equipment and reducing the use of costly precious metals. As a result, the new fuel cell systems will cost a third less than the one used in the Honda Clarity.
“This is a historic day for the industry as GM and Honda are the first full fuel cell system manufacturing joint venture to begin volume production of fuel cells for transportation and beyond,” FCSM President Suheb Haq said in a press release. “We begin the process with raw materials for membrane and electrode all the way through completed systems.”
