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Bosch plans to ramp up fuel cell production for hydrogen-powered trucks

Production is planned for Bosch's existing South Carolina facility, which has been in operation since 1985.

Powertrain and propulsion company Bosch said it plans to produce fuel cell stacks at its Anderson, South Carolina, facility. The planned expansion is part of a more than $200 million investment likely to create 350 jobs by the start of production in 2026.

The fuel cell stacks will drive hydrogen-powered trucks that are expected to be deployed in the next few years. 

Bosch said that especially for large, heavy vehicles, fuel cells have a better carbon footprint than exclusively battery-electric alternatives when the CO2 emissions for production, operation and disposal are added together.

The new manufacturing capacity includes unspecified help from the state of South Carolina and Anderson County.

Capital upgrades include an estimated 147,000 square feet of floorspace to manufacture the fuel cell stack as well as clean room and climate-controlled environments for quality-critical processes.

Bosch first started producing fuel rails at the Anderson site in 1985. Its operations have expanded since then to include multiple products within the Bosch Mobility Solutions business sector, including sensors and electronic control units for the powertrain.

Bosch said that multiple manufacturers have announced plans for hydrogen-powered vehicles in the U.S. market. For example, Nikola Corp. has been pilot testing prototype Class 8 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) using Bosch technology. The company recently completed a program using its Tre FCEV Alpha Pilot with Anheuser-Busch in California. Nikola also has active pilot testing of prototype FCEV vehicles with Total Transportation Services Inc.

A fuel cell operates by using hydrogen to generate electrical energy. As the hydrogen ions pass over the fuel cell plates, they combine with oxygen to create electricity. The only by-product is water, allowing the vehicle to run with zero local carbon emissions. 

Bosch said that one fuel stack consists of 3,200 individual parts assembled, more than 400 layers and more than 100 unique components. 

The Germany-based company recently announced it would invest more than $1 billion globally to develop mobile fuel cell technologies by 2024. And it previously announced a collaboration with Powercell to develop the fuel cell stack. The goal is to arrive at a high-performance product that can be manufactured at high volume and a market-competitive cost.

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