German Future Prize (Deutscher Zukunftspreis) 2025
Green power for heavy loads: fuel cells in lorries
The Federal President’s German Future Prize (Deutscher Zukunftspreis) 2025 has been awarded – and the prize goes to a team that is making a sustainable impact on the transport sector. Christoffer Uhr, Kai Weeber and Pierre Andrieu from Robert Bosch GmbH have developed a new fuel cell drive system with their Fuel Cell Power Module, which can power heavy goods vehicles emission-free for up to a thousand kilometres [1]. This hydrogen drive system is paving the way for a carbon-free future.
The fuel cell: old principle, new dimensions
The basic principle of fuel cells has been known to science for over 150 years. Today, this technology can make an important contribution to a “green” transport sector. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC for short) converts hydrogen and oxygen directly into electrical energy in an electrochemical reaction. The only by-product is pure water, which is why fuel cells are considered a climate-friendly technology for generating electricity – provided that the hydrogen used has itself been produced using “green” electricity.
Where lithium batteries fail, PEFC shines
But why take the detour via hydrogen as an energy storage medium when it is ultimately used to generate electricity again? After all, every energy conversion is associated with losses in overall efficiency. The answer lies in economic efficiency. For passenger cars, hydrogen technology is rather inferior to classic lithium battery technology – if only because the electricity charging network is now well developed. But for freight transport, lithium batteries have a serious disadvantage, literally: their weight.
A lorry and its load may weigh a maximum of 40 tonnes. The heavier the vehicle itself, the less load it can carry and the less economical it is to operate. If we compare an unloaded fuel cell lorry with a battery-powered lorry of the same design, we see that the fuel cell vehicle is around four tonnes lighter [2]. A 40-tonne fuel cell truck can therefore transport around ten per cent more payload than a battery-powered truck. In the cost- and efficiency-driven freight forwarding industry, that makes a world of difference. In addition, refuelling with hydrogen is much faster than charging a battery of the same size [2]. These advantages make fuel cell technology lucrative, especially for freight transport. And thanks to the three Bosch researchers, we now have a technical solution for this area of application.
Technical implementation: a complex scale-up
The three researchers have not only developed a fuel cell – they have created a complete drive system, including a complex control system that can withstand all weather conditions and temperatures from the Sahara to the Canadian polar air [2]. The system enables a cold start even at -30 °C [3].
However, the heart of the development is and remains the fuel cell itself. It consists of several hundred stacked cells and is located where the engine would be in a conventional lorry. The electricity generated from hydrogen either drives the electric motor directly or is temporarily stored in a small battery. This combination helps to absorb peak loads and ensure that the fuel cell operates as smoothly as possible [2].
From the desk to the road
The system has been ready for series production since July 2023 and was initially produced in Stuttgart-Feuerbach, Germany, and later also in Chongqing, China [4]. Several thousand vehicles with fuel cell drives are now in use [1]. “The first customer was a US start-up,” says Uhr. “The first modules were delivered for test vehicles in spring 2021.” [1] However, the potential of the solution is not limited to road traffic, as the researcher explains: “all applications that require long operating times, have to transport heavy loads or need rapid refuelling are ideal for our system. These include buses, forklift trucks, but also stationary generators that can be used, for example, in disaster control or data centres.” [1]
Research as a driving force of change
The fact that the researchers’ fuel cell technology has now been awarded the German Future Prize underlines the great importance of this technology. It is another important milestone on the multi-lane road to an emission-free future, as stated in a press release from the German Future Prize [1]. “The transformation of industry towards sustainable solutions is a huge task, and I am grateful to be able to contribute to it,” summarises Weeber, adding: “it’s not just about technology, but also about changing mindsets.”
In addition to the winning team, two other teams were nominated for the Future Prize. Their developments are briefly presented in the two text boxes.
Vision correction for millions of people [5]
Dr Mark Bischoff, Dr Gregor Stobrawa and Dirk Mühlhoff from Carl Zeiss Meditec have completely overhauled laser eye surgery. Their minimally invasive lenticule extraction procedure “Smile” enables vision correction without the disadvantages of conventional laser in situ keratomileusis methods (Lasik methods).
Challenge: in the classic Lasik method, a flap is lifted in the uppermost layer of the cornea. This cuts through nerves and reduces the sensitivity of the cornea. The flap also does not grow back together again.
Solution: the team developed a femtosecond laser that works with ultra-short pulses of only a few hundred femtoseconds. These megawatt-strong pulses are precisely focused directly inside the cornea without damaging the surface. Surgeons remove the separated tissue through an opening only two millimetres in size. The shape of the cornea changes, correcting the vision defect. No corneal incision or flap is necessary
Application: over eighty countries now use the procedure. For the more than fifty million people with vision problems who reach adulthood each year, this technology offers the chance of unrestricted vision.
Biomass instead of microplastics [6]
Dr Anne Lamp, Sina Spingler and Niklas Rambow from Traceless Materials have developed a biodegradable plastic substitute that disappears without a trace in nature.
Challenge: conventional plastics consist of artificial molecular chains that micro-organisms cannot break down. Even bioplastics are often chemically modified and are therefore not completely biodegradable. Once these plastics enter the environment, they remain there for decades and spread throughout ecosystems worldwide in the form of microplastics.
Solution: the team uses residues from grain processing as raw material. They extract cellulose, proteins and starch using natural solvents. Physical processes produce a thermoplastic granulate that can be processed in existing plastics plants. The material requires less energy to process and replaces conventional plastics without the need for new machinery.
Application: ideal for products with a short shelf life such as packaging, paper cup coatings and disposable cutlery. The material can be recycled as waste paper without leaving behind microplastics.
Sources:
[1] Deutscher Zukunftspreis – Team 3 2025
[2] Stifterverband – Kraftpaket fürs Klima
[3] Bosch Mobility – Fuel Cell Power Module
[4] Bosch Presse – Fertigung FCPM Feuerbach
