KEYOU announced that it has partnered with Voith to set up the first prototype for a hydrogen-driven city bus, which will be presented during IAA Transportation 2022 in hall 12, stand F60, according to the company's news release.

The 40-foot vehicle is equipped with a combination of “KEYOU-inside hydrogen engine” and Voith DIWA NXT mild-hybrid system. Development and construction of the vehicle are supported by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Since 2015, KEYOU has been developing H2-specific technologies, components, and combustion processes that can be used to transform conventional combustion engines into emission-free hydrogen engines. Vehicles with such engines are considered zero-emission vehicles according to EU standards.

The DIWA NXT automatic transmission for buses is designed as a mild-hybrid system, according to KEYOU. The central recuperation unit (CRU) recovers electrical energy generated from the driving operation. It delivers power up to 35kW at 48V.

Voith changed the main functionality of the CRU to mainly support the start-up procedure of the bus, according to the news release. The combination of the hydrogen combustion engine and the mild-hybrid system creates new zero-emission mobility that can rely on existing infrastructure.