Latest news with #fuelcells
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Hydrogen power is the terrible idea that refuses to die
In 1997, Wired, the DayGlo bible of the dotcom boom, made an audacious prediction. We were at the 'dawn of the hydrogen age', the magazine proclaimed. We could look forward to 'cars that go 5,000 miles between fill-ups' and 'electric power plants you buy like appliances'. Even more incredible things would then happen. 'The disappearance of the electric grid is a possibility; a makeover of the electric-utility industry is nearly certain,' the magazine gushed. It didn't quite work out that way, of course, but advocates of hydrogen never give up. For example, Ballard Power Systems, the Canadian company that the Wired reporter visited 28 years ago, founded by the fuel cell pioneer Geoffrey Ballard, is still going – although its founder died in 2008. The company says it has spent $15bn (£11bn) on research and development, and supplies small quantities of fuel cells to auto manufacturers the world over. But last week Stellantis, the world's fifth largest carmaker, which owns Peugeot and Vauxhall, said enough is enough. The company has cancelled its hydrogen initiatives, redirecting the capital to electric vehicles and hybrids instead. 'The hydrogen market remains a niche segment, with no prospects of mid-term economic sustainability,' said Jean-Philippe Imparato, the company's European boss. Even the iron fist of net zero bans on petrol and diesel haven't been enough to make hydrogen cars and vans viable. Toyota hangs on. It's flown the flag for hydrogen for decades, and is on to its second generation of hydrogen-powered Mirai. It's a joy to drive, I'm told. But since you can only 'fill up' at Hatton Cross near Heathrow, Sheffield or Birmingham, it's a niche choice. Elsewhere, progress is desultory. TfL retains 20 hydrogen buses, out of a fleet over 8,776, but hasn't added any since 2021.
Motor 1
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Stellantis Abandons Hydrogen Fuel Cell Development: 'Niche Segment'
Many people have considered hydrogen nothing more than a pipe dream from the very beginning. However, some automakers have insisted (and a few still do) that there is a future for electric vehicles with fuel cells instead of bulky batteries. Stellantis was determined to pursue hydrogen in the commercial vehicle segment, but pouring money into this technology has now come to an abrupt end. Stellantis recognized that it needed to invest a significant amount of money to make hydrogen feasible. Even if it hadn't abandoned the effort, customers would still have faced a severely underdeveloped refueling infrastructure worldwide. The automotive conglomerate also believes governments should've put more effort into incentivizing this segment to drive down prices for consumers. 2025 Opel Vivaro Hydrogen Photo by: Opel When all is said and done, 'the hydrogen market remains a niche segment,' and there are 'no prospects of mid-term economic sustainability.' Not only is Stellantis ending its hydrogen development program, but it's also abandoning plans to launch hydrogen-powered workhorses this year. New models from the Pro One commercial division were supposed to enter production this summer, but that's no longer happening. The plan was to build midsize vans in Hordain, France, and large vans in Gliwice, Poland. The silver lining is that Stellantis pledges not to reduce the workforce at the plants that were supposed to manufacture the hydrogen commercial vehicles. Additionally, the research and development team will pursue other projects unrelated to fuel cells. In early 2024, when Stellantis was still betting on hydrogen, it said it would have eight fuel cell midsize and large hydrogen vans: Citroën ë-Jumpy and ë-Jumper, Fiat Professional E-Scudo and E-Ducato, Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro and Movano, and Peugeot E-Expert and E-Boxer. While Stellantis is calling it quits, Toyota remains committed to hydrogen for the long haul. Aside from improving fuel cells with an upcoming third generation, it's also experimenting with combustion engines that run on hydrogen . The world's largest automaker is helping BMW bring its first series-production hydrogen car to market in 2028, potentially an SUV based on the next-generation X5. 2026 Hyundai Nexo Photo by: Hyundai Hyundai is not giving up on hydrogen either. It recently launched the new Nexo crossover and sees a future for fuel cell trucks such as the Xcient. Honda has a next-generation fuel cell module that it will mass-produce from 2027, featuring 50% lower production costs and more than double the durability of its predecessor. The Japanese automaker also has a joint venture with General Motors, called Fuel Cell Systems Manufacturing LLC. The 70,000-square-foot FCSM facility, located in Brownstown, Michigan, manufactures fuel cells that are sold to either Honda or GM's Hydrotec division. What about Volkswagen? Ex-CEO Thomas Schafer declared at the 2023 CES that the technology is not feasible for passenger cars , at least not in the foreseeable future: 'It's not competitive, especially not for passenger cars, the tanks take up space in the cabin. Maybe for commercial vehicles, but not in the passenger car. So, I don't see this happening in this decade. Not at Volkswagen.' Even Renault's niche brand Alpine believes hydrogen has a place in the sports car world by taunting us with a supercar powered by a twin-turbo, 3.5-liter V-6 fueled by hydrogen. Renault itself cooked up a rear-wheel-drive Emblème wagon concept with a fuel cell and a rechargeable battery. However, regardless of how much fuel cell technology advances, without a suitable refueling infrastructure, these efforts will be in vain. Hydrogen Is Not Dead: BMW Thinks the 'Timing Is Right' For Hydrogen. Is It Really? Cummins Made a New Turbocharger for Hydrogen Engines Source: Stellantis Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Bloomberg
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Stellantis Backs Out of Hydrogen Venture With Michelin, Forvia
Stellantis NV will withdraw its support for a joint hydrogen-vehicle venture with Michelin and Forvia SE as the automaker cuts its exposure to the fledgling technology, putting the project's future at risk. The maker of Fiat cars plans to stop investing in the Symbio business that specializes in hydrogen fuel cells by 2026, Forvia and Michelin said in separate statements in response to Bloomberg queries. Stellantis didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Bloom Energy Stock Just Dropped
Bloom Energy stock surged on positive tax credits news yesterday. Then one big insider shareholder decided to sell half its shares today, and the stock price reversed. Korea's SK ecoplant is selling 10 million Bloom Energy shares. 10 stocks we like better than Bloom Energy › Well that was quick! Just 24 hours after J.P. Morgan upgraded hydrogen fuel cell company Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) stock on Wednesday, sending Bloom stock soaring 18% in a day, Bloom stock is turning tail and tumbling back down again. Bloom stock fell 9% through 12:30 p.m. ET. J.P. Morgan nearly doubled its target price yesterday, advising investors to buy Bloom stock on the theory that Congressional "48E tax credits" will encourage more companies to use Bloom's fuel cells, and boost profit margins for Bloom itself. Many investors liked the sound of that, bidding up Bloom stock strongly. No sooner had this happened, though, than one Bloom investor decided to cash in on the stock price surge -- by selling half its shares. As confirmed in an SEC filing, SK ecoplant will sell 10 million Bloom shares for about $28.71 per share. According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, SK is an insider investor in Bloom, owning just over 10% of the company's shares outstanding -- 23.5 million. Today's sale will cut that stake roughly in half, limiting SK's exposure should Bloom's stock price flag, and locking in profits from yesterday's big stock price surge. This seems prudent to me. While J.P. Morgan may be optimistic about Bloom's future, the company reported less than $5 million in profit over the last 12 months, and its P/E ratio stretches well beyond 1,000x earnings. Bloom generates more free cash flow than it reports as net profit, but its price-to-free cash flow ratio is 87 times FCF, which seems pricey despite growth forecasts for 25% over the next five years. There's good reason for SK to be selling -- and good reason for other investors to do likewise. Before you buy stock in Bloom Energy, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Bloom Energy wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $694,758!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $998,376!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,058% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 7, 2025 JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Bloom Energy Stock Just Dropped was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bloom Energy (BE) Soars 18% as JPMorgan Turns Bullish
Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) is one of the . Bloom Energy soared by 18.15 percent on Wednesday to finish at $28.71 apiece as investors cheered JPMorgan's bullish rating revision for its stock. In a market note, JPMorgan raised its stock rating for Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) to 'overweight' from 'neutral' previously, with an 83-percent price target bump to $33 from $18 prior. The new figure marked a 14.9-percent upside from Bloom Energy Corporation's (NYSE:BE) latest closing price. According to JPMorgan, the upward revision was based on the reinstatement of federal tax credits for fuel cells under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, where the inclusion of fuel cells under the 48E investment tax credit should improve the company's pricing power and drive higher demand. A bird's eye view of a power generation platform with a power plant in the background. With the inclusion, Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) is expected to accelerate its revenues and margin growth beginning next year, with JPMorgan projecting EBITDA to $420 million on $2.21 billion revenues. 'We believe the tax credit should provide pricing power for [Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE)] in conversations with data centers, while also increasing demand from more price-sensitive (non-data center) customers,' the investment firm said. While we acknowledge the potential of BE as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
