Valmet Automotive is focusing its activities in e-mobility on fuel cell technology, establishing a Center of Competence for Fuel Cells to bring together development work that had previously been spread over several engineering teams.
“Our target is clear. We want to be one of the leading development service providers in the field of fuel cells,” said Dr Robert Hentschel, senior vice president for engineering at Valmet Automotive. “For this, it is vital to set a course for the time after today’s generation of battery electric vehicles.”
The Center of Competence, which is headed by Jochen Ludescher, currently has 25 employees. Valmet Automotive has been involved in fuel cell technology for over three years, and in early 2019, the company joined the fuel cell cluster of Baden-Württemberg.
Valmet believes that its most promising product of current in-house developments is a flat-membrane humidifier. In contrast to the currently used hollow fiber membrane humidifiers, the Valmet design offers the same performance in a much more compact package.