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EKPO has received an order from a major European OEM to develop and supply bipolar plates

• Major European vehicle manufacturer has placed an order with EKPO for development and supply of bipolar plate prototypes

• Bipolar plate intended for use in future stack generations

• Development aimed at combining superior power density with compact design
   

EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies GmbH (EKPO) has received an order from one of European leading carmakers covering the development of a new bipolar plate. Under the terms of the contract, EKPO develops prototypes and supplies them to the vehicle manufacturer for planned use in a fuel cell vehicle. Taking pole position in a competitive field, EKPO had been awarded the contract in acknowledgement of the high power density and compact design delivered by its market-leading bipolar plates.

"This contract from a well-known European car manufacturer is a testimony to EKPO's first-class competence in fuel cell technology, as a supplier of stacks and individual components," says Julien Etienne, Chief Commercial Officer at EKPO. "Combining high performance and compact design, our product portfolio is a truly compelling proposition. In addition, customers trust EKPO's demonstrable industrialization skills and our ability to deliver stacks and components in automotive quality standard and high-volume quantities."

Another key factor when it came to securing the development contract was the long-standing spirit of collaboration between the two companies. EKPO can build on a proven track record of developing and researching fuel cell technology that spans more than 20 years, benefiting from the market leading metal forming competence of its parent company ElringKlinger. Operations surrounding the development and production of the prototypes to be supplied to the major OEM are based locally in Germany.

PEMFC metal bipolar plates offer tangible advantages with regard to costs and – an aspect that is particularly important for mobile applications – power density and the cold-start capability of fuel cells. Using high-precision, progressive die suited to volume production, EKPO manufactures bipolar plates in a fully automated, interlinked manufacturing process.