“AutoStack Core” is a European funded collaborative project with the objective to develop best-of-its-class automotive stack hardware. The project consortium combines the collective expertise of European automotive OEMs, component suppliers, system integrators and research institutes to remove critical disconnects between stakeholders. It includes all core activities of fuel cell stack development from design over component manufacturing and stack assembly to stack performance and durability testing. The technical concept reflects the system requirements of major automotive OEMs and builds on the Auto-Stack assessments carried out under an FCH JU Grant Agreement from 2010 to 2012. It suggests a stack platform concept to substantially improve economies of scale and reduce critical investment cost for individual OEMs by sharing the same stack hardware for different vehicles and vehicle categories. The project thus is addressing one of the most critical challenges of fuel cell commercialization. Being near to completion, the project has achieved or exceeded all its major technical and cost targets. More than 60 short and full size stacks were built and tested. Results of the validation testing program are confirming robust operation of the stacks under the specified requirements. After 4 years of development, AutoStack Core now can provide top of class, viable and affordable automotive stack technology to support the upcoming FCEV commercialization activities.
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