The BMW G 310 models are manufactured at TVS in India, and TVS has also taken over the English motorcycle brand Norton. The latest development in India is a fuel cell powered scooter.
The electric scooter iQube from TVS, which can already be pre-ordered in India, is still fairly new. Prices: Converted from around 1,400 euros. Deliveries of the top version iQube ST, which will run at speeds of over 80 km/h and have a range of up to 145 kilometers, are scheduled to begin in August 2022. With 4.5 kWh capacity in the battery pack.
Fuel cell instead of battery pack
The next advance is apparently to be a fuel cell version, which is currently being developed at TVS. Big advantage of the fuel cell technology: Hydrogen is refueled within a few minutes, as was previously the case with petrol, which means that the batteries do not have to be charged for hours. A comparatively simple arrangement of the components can be seen on a patent drawing that has now been leaked: Two gas tanks for the hydrogen are almost vertically under the handlebars, covered by the plastic cladding, and the fuel cell is more horizontally under the seat. There is also a small battery for the on-board electronics and for buffering the electrochemically generated electricity, as well as an electric motor close to the driven rear wheel.
Set up as simply as possible
Development specifications here are probably “easy to assemble and easy to repair”, because this is the only way for the new technology to have a chance of being accepted by the Indian and Asian target groups. A few prerequisites still have to be created for this, above all a filling station network for hydrogen, which is very volatile and therefore difficult to transport and store. In addition, it must be clarified how the hydrogen is generated, whether it is a “green”, i.e. sustainable solution that not only reduces CO2 emissions locally, but can also be convincing in the overall analysis.
Fuel cell possibly from Bosch
Nothing has been officially confirmed yet, but the German supplier Bosch may also be involved in such developments. This year Bosch is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its activities in India, produces locally and is also a supplier for various motorized two-wheelers made in India.
Source: TVS fuel cell patent: BMW partner TVS develops hydrogen scooter
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