Symbio is boosting the autonomy of electric vehicles

06/04/2021

By solving the major issue facing battery electric vehicles – their lack of autonomy – Symbio paves the way for a new era of electric transport.

The transport industry has three major challenges to achieve: improve air quality, reduce CO2 emissions and promote green energy. The French equipment supplier Symbio is at the forefront of a technology that will contribute to solve all three issues.

Founded in 2010, Symbio is now a subsidiary of the Michelin Group. It designs hydrogen fuel cell kits that can be incorporated into different types of electric vehicles. Vehicles equipped by Symbio solutions are not only “zero emissions”, they are easy to use, quick to refill and boast an unprecedented autonomy – twice their battery equivalents.

After years of experimentation, Symbio is at a turning point. In June 2019, bus manufacturer Safra launched the first 100% French hydrogen-powered bus, fitted with a Symbio system. This “Businova” can run up to 300km per day and recharge in 30 minutes only: an outstanding performance.

Symbio’s long-term partnership with the Renault Group, a pioneer in electric utility vehicles, also pays off. In October 2019, the car manufacturer announced the launch of two electric battery-powered models, the Kangoo Z.E. Hydrogen and the Master Z.E. Hydrogen. This one is equipped with a hydrogen range-extender made by Symbio: the StackPack S. These two professional vehicles can be refuelled with hydrogen in just a few minutes and reach distances of respectively 370 km and 350 km without refill.

With the objective of producing 200,000 StackPacks per year between 2019 and 2030, Symbio is on the road to large-scale manufacturing. It will be a main player in the new transport revolution.