A hybrid electric fuel cell minibus: Drive test

Meeting the worldwide energy demand for the present and future transportation systems with the least impact on the environment is a big challenge. In the i-NEXT (Innovation for greeN Energy and eXchange in Transportation) project a Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FCHEV) minibus for people transportation has been implemented. This paper reports some preliminary test drive. The vehicle architecture has been developed considering that, both recharge time and autonomy of a purely electric vehicle are operational limits, and the fuel cell technology is able to enhance these parameters. An electric engine with lithium ion batteries and a 20 kW Fuel Cell System characterize the vehicle. The test drive has been carried out in Capo d'Orlando municipality (Sicily) allowing the acquisition of key data.