The operation of Hydroride hydrogen electric bikes
The interest of hydrogen
The use of hydrogen gas to power an electric motor has interesting advantages.
While an electric bike battery requires several hours to recharge, even with a 4 or 5A charger, a hydrogen tank can be filled in just a few seconds. The tank can be pressurized to 1 megapascal (MPa), or 145 psi. Once charged, it can offer up to 64 km of autonomy with a single charge.
Autonomy and transport of additional tanks
Given the size and weight of the tank, transporting additional tanks is easy, and it only adds a few extra grams to the total weight. Doubling or tripling the range of the electric bike then becomes feasible without much difficulty. Moreover, the emissions from these bikes are only water, making them an environmentally friendly option.
The bike models
Hydroride offers different models of hydrogen electric bikes. They offer a city model designed for bike-sharing programs, a folding bike, and a sporty e-bike with a futuristic design, especially thanks to a single leg fork.
The hydrogen gas generator
Characteristics and operation
The key element of the system is the hydrogen gas generator, whose size and shape are reminiscent of a home oxygen concentrator used by people with respiratory issues. This generator uses 200 ml (6.7 oz) of water to produce 5 g of hydrogen gas in about five hours. This gas is then stored in the tank.
Tank change
Changing the tank of an electric bike takes only about ten seconds. The tank measures 24.9 cm in height with a diameter of 6.1 cm and can hold 20 g of hydrogen. Thus, it takes about five hours to produce enough hydrogen allowing a range of 64 km, which is comparable to what many electric bikes offer.
Autonomy management
With multiple tanks in rotation, owners can replace an empty tank with a new one each morning, put another into production before heading to work, and recharge a few extra on the weekend. This method eliminates range anxiety.