CNH Brand STEYR and TU Wien Unveil FCTRAC Biogenic Hydrogen-Powered Tractor Project

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 29, 2024 / CNH

An innovative hydrogen fuel cell-powered concept tractor has made its debut thanks to a collaboration by STEYR, a brand of CNH, and TU Wien.

Based on a standard STEYR 4140 Expert continuously variable transmission (CVT) tractor, the development was a collaborative effort between CNH's St. Valentin-based engineering team in Austria and their project partners, who worked together to design, create and test the tractor and its hydrogen fuel cell power unit.

The STEYR FCTRAC hydrogen fuel cell tractor project's aim was end-to-end sustainability, via a BioH2Module developed to complement the tractor. This produces hydrogen from biogenic raw materials and residues, meaning 15-16 kg dry biomass is needed to produce hydrogen equivalent to around 3.5 l of Diesel. The power unit only emits water vapour, and there is no compromise in terms of power.

The FCTRAC, which has a 14 kWh high-voltage battery and 400 V electrical system, develops 95 kW, matching its diesel equivalent. The fuel cell and electric drive systems take the place of the diesel engine, while the fuel tank is replaced by a compressed hydrogen storage system and a high-voltage battery.

"The STEYR FCTRAC attracted considerable attention recently at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the venue for the Austrian State Prize for Technology awards, for which it was nominated in the ‘Mobility Technologies category', a section which honours groundbreaking Austrian technical innovations," says Marco Lombardi, Head of Case IH and STEYR brands EMEA.