Suppliers must prepare now for future powertrain diversity

As adoption rates rise, emerging powertrain technologies offer suppliers brand new opportunities. However, critical to each company’s success will be to identify if and how the expertise developed around internal combustion engines (ICEs) can be applied.

In the case of fuel cells, Honeywell believes it has found a winner. In 2016, the company unveiled a two-stage electric compressor for use in fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). The component is designed specifically for use in Honda’s next-generation Clarity FCEV, and has since gone into regular production, with parts being shipped to manufacturing facilities in Japan. The car is currently available in Japan and California.

As Gavin Donkin, Vice President Product Development, Honeywell Transportation Systems explains, the role of the compressor is analogous with that of a