EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies (EKPO) will showcase its high-performance fuel cell stacks and components at Hydrogen Technology World Expo in Hamburg from October 20 to 22, 2026, and will present HyFleet, the world's first road-legal hydrogen-powered side-by-side vehicle. The announcement, made via NEWMEDIAWIRE, highlights a significant step in applying hydrogen fuel cell technology to energy-intensive special-purpose vehicles, a sector that has traditionally been difficult to electrify due to demanding operational requirements.
The HyFleet project, developed by BRP-Rotax in collaboration with industry and research partners, features EKPO's NM12 fuel cell stack at its core. The vehicle achieves a range of up to 400 kilometers and a refueling time of approximately five minutes, addressing two critical barriers to adoption in heavy-duty applications: range anxiety and downtime. The fuel cell system delivers 90 kW of power with an efficiency of up to 60%, and it responds rapidly to changes in load, making it suitable for dynamic real-world conditions.
Extensive on- and off-road testing has validated the system's practicality. A passive hydrogen recirculation system, developed with HyCentA, enhances robustness and efficiency through an innovative two-step needle ejector that reduces mechanical complexity. The system also features cold-start and freeze-start capability at temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius, ensuring reliability in winter and alpine environments. These technical achievements demonstrate that hydrogen fuel cells can meet the rigorous demands of specialty vehicles used in agriculture, forestry, tourism, municipal services, and industry.
"HyFleet shows how we are applying our many years of fuel cell expertise to new mobility applications. Hydrogen is particularly well suited to demanding on- and off-road applications that require long operating hours and high availability," said Dr. Stefan Dwenger, Managing Director of EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies GmbH. "Our NM12 fuel cell stack, backed by our expertise in development and industrialization, helps our partners put this potential to work."
Stefan Arndt, General Manager BRP-Rotax, VP R&D Powertrain, added: "HyFleet has demonstrated that a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain can also work successfully in a compact special-purpose vehicle designed for off-road use. In EKPO, we have a partner that brought extensive experience in developing and industrializing fuel cell stacks to the project, along with technology tailored to our needs."
The HyFleet initiative takes an integrated approach to operating hydrogen-powered vehicle fleets, considering every stage from local green hydrogen production to the powertrain, vehicle, and scalable refueling infrastructure. The insights gained are expected to guide further development and expand the technology's use in additional applications. This matters because it proves that hydrogen fuel cells are a viable solution for sectors that are hard to decarbonize, offering a pathway to reduce emissions without compromising performance or productivity.
At Booth 7H46 in Hall 7, EKPO will also display its extensive fuel cell portfolio, including stacks and components for mobile and stationary applications with power outputs ranging from 16 kW to more than 400 kW. The company's modular platforms are engineered for high power density, efficiency, and dependable operation, and it develops customized stack solutions tailored to each customer's system architecture. EKPO's portfolio extends to green hydrogen production with metal bipolar plates for PEM electrolyzers, adapting its precision forming, coating, and sealing technologies to electrolysis demands. The HyFleet project received funding through the Zero Emission Mobility program, administered by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), and further details are available via the original release at www.newmediawire.com.
