Recently, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) electric vehicle team launched a new hydrogen-based test bed and demonstrated a hydrogen-powered electric motorcycle prototype. The project is led by graduate student Aditya Mehrotra with participation from mechanical engineering professor Alex Slocum. “We hope this project will be an opportunity to drive increased demand for small-scale hydrogen systems, leading to the development of more infrastructure,” said Mehrotra.
The team developed the design based on a 1999 Ducati Supersport donor motorcycle frame and installed an electric motor, drivetrain, hydrogen tank and other custom components. With some parts donated by industry sponsors, the two-wheeler took shape over the course of a year.
At the heart of the system is a fuel cell developed by South Korean company Doosan, which is connected to an auxiliary gas cylinder to draw energy. Since the drivetrain is not yet fully developed, the bike will run on this hybrid system. It's important to note that this bike is still in the early stages of development and is designed purely as a proof of concept.
Hydrogen technology is expensive to develop and is either done in simulations or remains in the prototype stage, making it difficult to test these systems. However, through open source sharing of code, the project hopes to attract more developers to participate and jointly promote the research and development of hydrogen power products.