Revolutionizing the Automotive Landscape: Fuel Cell Applications Powering the Future

Dear Colleagues,

The demand for green technology has significantly increased in the current century. Particularly, rapid urbanization has resulted in escalated transportation requirements, leading to heavy traffic congestion, extensive consumption of fossil fuels, and the subsequent environmental challenges. Consequently, the control and mitigation of vehicle emissions is imperative, and can be achieved by adopting cleaner technologies. Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a viable solution due to their ability to reduce carbon emissions and other pollutants, thus positively impacting the environment. Hybrid vehicles (HVs) have also been developed to curtail the utilization of internal combustion engines (ICEs) by integrating them with electric motors. Furthermore, the advent of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has partially addressed the issue of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as they operate solely on electricity generated by batteries. However, it is noteworthy that BEVs do not provide a radical reduction in GHG emissions, as the majority of electricity is derived from thermal power plants. Additionally, BEVs have their own limitations, such as limited driving range, lengthy battery charging time, and concerns regarding battery safety. Despite the persistent challenge in developing near-zero-emission vehicles, EVs powered by renewable energy sources remain a desirable choice due to their capacity to emit only natural byproducts, such as water, instead of GHGs. Consequently, this contributes to the enhancement of air quality and human health.

Recently, fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have garnered substantial attention within the automotive industry, generating strong commercial interest. FCEVs utilize electric motors powered by fuel cells, where the primary energy mover is the combination of hydrogen and oxygen from the air. Fuel cells possess higher energy densities compared to other energy devices, making them suitable for long-range vehicular applications. Consequently, these advantages have stimulated research and development efforts focused on FCEVs. Plug-in FC hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEVs) and FC extended electric vehicles have also gained significant attention. The utilization of fuel cells as power sources for electric vehicles offers various benefits, including clean fuel, high efficiency, absence of harmful emissions, and reduced noise levels.

The objective of this Special Issue is to concentrate on all aspects related to the application of fuel cells in the automotive industry, with a particular emphasis on innovative fuel cell devices, advancements in fuel cell applications, simulation and modeling of fuel cells, hybridization of fuel cells with one or more auxiliary power sources, as well as energy management and power distribution.

Possible topics to be explored in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

• Key technologies and advanced materials associated with fuel cells.
• Novel fuel cells, membrane electrodes, and catalysts.
• Hydrogen fuel cell powertrains.
• Simulations and modeling techniques for fuel cells.
• Application and testing of fuel cells in electric vehicles.
• Hybridization of fuel cells with other power sources.
• Life cycle analysis of fuel cells.
• Commercialization and market trends of fuel cell electric vehicles.
• Endurance and acceleration capabilities of fuel cells.
• Hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and refueling.
• Emerging trends and new technologies in the field of electric vehicles.
• Perspectives and reviews on the subject of fuel cell vehicles.

Dr. Yang Luo
Guest Editor

Dr. Tiande Mo
Dr. Yu Li
Guest Editor Assistants

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• fuel cell
• automobile industry
• electric vehicle
• green transportation
• hydrogen and new energy
• power source
• energy management and power distribution