JAKARTA - The electronic scooter is very popular in Turkey, as sales and the number of companies it leases have soared in recent years.
However, they have some shortcomings, such as long charging times and possible pollution from uncontrolled battery disposal. Four Turkish engineers hope the new scooter, which works with hydrogen power, can address this issue.
Named Hebunk, the hydrogen scooter was designed by a businessman who works in a technology park at Istanbul Technical University, offering fast charging time, just five minutes, and can cover a distance of 60 kilometers (37.28 miles) on a single charge, which costs about 9 cents.
The scooter, which is not very different from the e-scooter in appearance, was developed in one year by hydroBorPEM Fuel Cell Technology entrepreneur, which is now based in a technology park at Istanbul's Y wayaldz Engineering University.
Erhan Demircio Hamulu, co-founder of the company, demonstrated the vehicle, saying it was looking for investors for mass production. He hopes their vehicles will contribute to the growth of the micromobility market.
"I am an e-scooter user but facing some problems. The filling takes a long time and the range is limited. I have difficulty climbing a steep road," he told Anadolu Agency (AA), as reported by Daily Sabah, October 23.
"You have to wait for five to eight hours to fill in. You have to take it yourself on a steep road."
The problem prompted him and his friends to find a solution, and together they came up with the idea of using hydrogen as fuel, something that was already applied to other vehicles, such as motorcycles.
"Hebunk is equipped with hydrogen cartridges to store its fuel. It only takes five minutes to fill it. While climbing on a steep road, it was a smooth journey," he explained.
This scooter is equipped with a "sensor slope" that allows it to rise automatically while climbing.
Demircio Hamulu and his friends have been working on hydrogen technology for more than a decade, from fuel cells to storage, charging stations and more.
After an intensive research and development process, they managed to obtain domestic and international patents for their vehicles that passed all the safety tests. "This is the world's first hydrogen-powered sticker that looks not much different from electric stickers," he said.
He said they contacted investors before producing scooters, but mostly saw them as "future vehicles that cannot be done at this time."
Another advantage of hydrogen technology is the battery that lasts a long time, whose fuel cell has a life of 14 years. The lithium-ion battery has a lifespan of only five years.
"With one hydrogen cartridge, you can generate energy equivalent to 10 lithium-ion batteries. In terms of weight, size and cost, hydrogen is better in battery than electric. It's also environmentally friendly. Electric vehicles are seen as environmentally friendly but their electricity is obtained from power plants that use fossil fuels. In other words, they can't help achieve net zero emission goals. But in hydrogen, you can charge your battery using water and heat only," said Demircio
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