The French company ARM Engineering, based in Montans in the Tarn, has specialized in research on alternative fuels since it designed its first bioethanol conversion boxes in 2007. It recently developed a renewable synthetic methanol called G-H3, which has, among other features, the ability to power both thermal and electric vehicles, via a fuel cell for the latter. And to demonstrate this second system, ARM Engineering has equipped a Renault Zoe with it, which has just broken a double distance record by covering 2,055.68 km with a full 200 L on the Albi circuit while driving at 50 km/h.
The advantages of hydrogen without the disadvantages
According to ARM Engineering, G-H3 can be obtained by methanation of non-food biomass such as manure and plant residues, or from CO2 and hydrogen via water electrolysis which can itself be carried out with electricity from renewable sources. The supply circuit therefore plays a crucial role in the ecological viability of this fuel. If the best conditions are met, this process allows a G-H3 fuel cell car (which recomposes hydrogen to transform it into electricity) to emit 80% less CO2 compared to a model that runs directly on hydrogen such as a Toyota Mirai, thanks to lower “well-to-wheel” emissions. Usable in liquid form, G-H3 has the particular advantage of being able to be distributed by conventional fuel pumps, unlike electricity and hydrogen which require dedicated infrastructures.
The Mirai, precisely, held until now the autonomy record for a fuel cell vehicle with 1,360 km traveled without refueling in 2021. ARM Engineering broke the autonomy record for an electric car at the same time. This one had been held since 2017 by the prototype The Phoenix of the American company IT Asset Partners, built from recycled elements, which had reached 1,600 km on a charge.
Better than bioethanol for thermal
A combustion engine car can use pure G-H3 as fuel, unlike E85 which mixes with gasoline, thanks to a conversion kit. In this case, this reduces the vehicle’s CO2 emissions by 80% and reduces its emissions of fine particles and nitrogen oxides to zero, according to ARM Engineering. The high octane number of G-H3 (109) also allows for increased power and torque. The icing on the cake, the gross production cost of G-H3 is only €0.35/L according to the Tarn company.
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A single source of energy for thermal and electric?
So on paper, G-H3 could become an all-purpose fuel, making it possible to power fuel cell electric vehicles offering great autonomy without the disadvantages of hydrogen while decarbonizing thermal models. Constraints related to production circuits, logistics and scale of use are all obstacles to its mass adoption, but ARM Engineering intends to rely on its newly established records to find investors to develop this project. This will go through the creation of a new company called ARM Energy.
Sources: ARM Engineering, La Dépêche, Le Point
