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Global automotive supplier Bosch expects platinum to play only a minor role in its new fuel cells, giving precious metals market scant benefit even as the technology gains momentum for pollution-free transport.
According to Reuters calculations, Bosch would need one-tenth of the platinum used in current fuel scell vehicles.
The spot price of platinum has shed over 40 per cent in the last five years, burdened by persistent over-supply, before rebounding slightly in recent months. However, Germany’s Robert Bosch GmbH told Reuters that platinum was expected to play only a “minor role” in its plans to mass produce fuel cells.
Bosch, which last month signed a deal with Powercell Sweden AB to mass produce fuel cells, said that its fuel cell design was not finalised, but it expects them to use only as much platinum as a diesel catalytic converter.
A catalytic converter in a diesel passenger vehicle typically uses three to seven grammes of platinum compared with around 30-60 grammes currently needed for a fuel cell for the same vehicle, according to analysts.
“There has been lots of optimisation work concerning platinum in fuel cells,” said Achim Moritz, product manager for mobile fuel cells at Bosch.
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