Le Mans Hydrogène brought together 600 professionals (industrialists and local authorities) on September 24 and 25, 2024 at the Palais des Congrès et de la Culture in Le Mans: plenary conferences bringing together key speakers, industrialists and public players, themed workshops dedicated to companies and local authorities, real-life experiments in the streets of the Metropole and an exhibition and exchange area with industrial players. Le Mans Hydrogène is a meeting place for synergies between industry and local authorities, providing concrete solutions for the decarbonization of regional and national mobility.
On this occasion, a Beeway equipped with a refuse collection vehicle was on display and took to the streets of Le Mans for demonstration sessions.
The Beeway thus demonstrated its capabilities, while arousing curiosity as it was decked out in its Plexiglas showroom "body", allowing a glimpse of its innards.
What was a battery-powered Beeway doing at a hydrogen symposium?
This version demonstrated LMI's expertise and reminded us that the Beeway was designed from the outset for hydrogen.
Its architecture is designed to accommodate a rack of tanks behind the cab. Provided that suitable tanks are available, they could also be installed at chassis level to free up space at the rear of the cab.
The fuel cell is located under the rack where the2nd battery module is, and the power electronics where the3rd module is.
The architecture is hybrid, with a 41 kWh buffer battery between the fuel cell and the drive train. This battery adds dynamics to the system, as fuel cells react relatively slowly to vehicle requirements. Where a fuel cell needs a few (tens of) seconds, a battery can provide or absorb power instantly, and can therefore take over during acceleration or braking.
A power battery could be considered, but for the same cost, an NMC battery was preferred. This battery is a standard Beeway module which could eventually provide a reserve or non-hydrogen range of 41 kWh, or 150 to 200 km depending on the driving profile.
So the Beeway is ready for hydrogen.
However, the complete development and homologation of the solution will take around 18 months. Development may be launched once the battery-powered vehicle has been approved. For this to happen, the market must be sufficiently open to provide affordable components and commercial outlets for the Beeway H2.
Spin-offs
LMH2 enabled us to talk to local users and show them that a battery-powered Beeway already meets decarbonization requirements, while providing a good tool for operational staff. What's more, the Beeway can be recharged with electricity generated from hydrogen or renewable sources, as deployed by the Le Mans metropolis.
Exchanges with academics also showed the expectations of a manufacturer.
Finally, Ouest-France provided media coverage of the event, including an article dedicated to Beeway, Merci Lola Dufeu!
