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The continuous increasingly stringent regulations for CO2 fleet targets request the introduction of zero-emission solutions in the near future. Moreover, additional customer benefits have to be generated in order to increase customer acceptance of zero-emission technologies. Actually high costs, reduced driving ranges and lack of infrastructures are some aggregative facts for end-customer acceptance thus also for a broad market launch. Plug-in hybrids as intermediate step towards zero-emission vehicles are meanwhile in series production with partly “zero-emission” operation mode and are well accepted by customers. The project partners HyCentA Research GmbH, Magna Steyr Engineering AG & Co KG, Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH and the Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Powertrains and Automotive Technology, have developed a hydrogen-powered zero-emission vehicle within a national funded research project.

Hydrogen as carbon-free energy carrier, produced from renewable sources like wind, solar or hydro power, is a promising option to overcome the impacts of the anthropogenic climate change. Recently, great advances regarding the early market introduction of FCVs have been achieved. As the availability of hydrogen refueling stations is highly limited, a modular, scalable and highly efficient hydrogen supply infrastructure concept is presented in this paper. The focus lies on cost-effectiveness and flexibility for the utilization in different applications and for growing markets. Based on the analysis of different use cases, the requirements for the newly developed concept are elaborated. The modular system design, utilizing a standardized high pressure PEM electrolysis module, allows a scalable hydrogen production of up to several hundred kilograms per day.