Posted on 03 Mar 2023
Carmakers Geely and Renault Group plan to welcome Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco to a new powertrain technology company (PWT) dedicated to internal combustion and hybrid technologies.
The companies announced on Thursday that Aramco signed a letter of intent to become a minority stakeholder in the JV. The undisclosed investment would support the growth of the company and contribute to key R&D around synthetic fuels solutions and next-generation hydrogen technologies, they say.
The plan is for the JV to run a global network of 17 powertrain plants and five R&D centres globally. They estimate production of 5 million internal combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines and transmissions per year, which may also include hydrogen engines, Kallanish understands.
According to Cummins, hydrogen engines offer a “unique benefit” to vehicle manufacturers and fleets among different low to zero carbon technologies. The manufacturer cites the reliability and familiarity of internal combustion engines to operate, maintain, troubleshoot and service.
It does note, however, that their hydrogen engines come with the challenge of on-board storage and refuelling infrastructure. Medium and heavy-duty applications are more likely to turn to hydrogen fuel cells or hydrogen engines. Off-road, construction equipment, agricultural machinery and potentially ships are also likely to feature a hydrogen engine in the future, Cummins forecasts.
Renault Group said on Tuesday “since it is neither possible nor desirable for all ICE vehicles to be replaced by new electric cars, retrofitting is a forward-looking solution that will accelerate the energy transition and reduce our carbon footprint.”
Source:Kallanish
