Dettingen/Erms, Germany, and Shanghai, China, April 25, 2025 +++ Ensuring future energy security with hydrogen: With its range of bipolar plates and stacks, EKPO offers solutions to the strong demand being seen across the world for reliable and sustainable energy supply. One of the highlights at the Auto Shanghai trade fair will undoubtedly be the latest addition to EKPO’s stack range, the NM20 stack module. Delivering up to 400 kW, it is EKPO’s most powerful model yet and has been designed particularly with heavy-duty traffic and stationary applications in mind. The stack boasts a high level of efficiency, reduced hydrogen consumption, the capacity to work at higher temperatures, recyclability, and a long service life. This is all thanks to its high performance density – one of EKPO’s hallmarks –, which has been increased by more than 50% compared to the previous generations. Another highlight is the integrated media module, which provides all the necessary interfaces and makes the integration into customer systems and vehicles easier.
EKPO’s Chief Commercial Officer Dr. Stefan Dwenger explains: “Driving hydrogen solutions for a sustainable future is what motivates EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies day in, day out. We want to make fuel cell technology competitive in order to get even closer to carbon-neutral mobility and energy supply, whether that’s on the road, on rail, in the water, or with stationary applications. We’re already in control of the entire process chain to this end and, building on our existing products, we have access to a highly automated, cost-effective manufacturing operation in line with automotive standards.”
Fuel cell stacks propelling hydrogen technology forward
China’s automotive industry is backing sustainable solutions on its path toward a carbon-neutral transportation and logistics sector. EKPO’s fuel cell stacks and bipolar plates are opening the door to a powerful, climate-neutral energy infrastructure for both mobile and stationary applications. Its portfolio of four modular stack platforms – the NM5-evo, NM12-single, NM12-twin, and NM20 – covers a power spectrum from 16 kW to 400 kW. Uses for the NM5 stack include as a range extender in large-battery hybrid vehicles, which are charged using fuel cell stacks. The NM12 stack, meanwhile, delivers maximum performance in fuel cell vehicles thanks to its properties and proven durability.
As well as supplying standardized stack platforms, EKPO also tailors its development work to customer specifications so that it can offer stack solutions that are the perfect fit for integration in the relevant individual system environment or customer requirement (e.g., of OEMs). Particularly noteworthy in this regard are the metal PEMFC bipolar plates, which offer major benefits in terms of cost, scalability, and operation – such as the cold-start capability of fuel cells –, ensuring unbeatable performance density and reliable operation over the long term in series production.
Bipolar plates: the “beating heart” of fuel cell stacks
In developing stack components like the metallic bipolar plate, EKPO has taken a further step on its journey toward cultivating the mobility applications market, while also tapping into the upstream hydrogen value chain. EKPO’s 20+ years of experience with fuel cells and the in-house tool technology at its disposal provide the basis for the company to develop bipolar plates and manufacture them at low cost. These plates are also used in high-performance electrolyzers that are based on the PEM electrolysis principle, meaning that they produce green hydrogen. Using high-precision progressive dies, EKPO is already making metallic bipolar plates in a fully automated and interlinked process. As a joint venture, the company is building on the expertise in industrial-scale production shared by two established international automotive suppliers (ElringKlinger and OPmobility) as well as on local value chains.
For further information, please contact on behalf of EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies:
ElringKlinger AG
Dr. Jens Winter
Vice President Strategic Communications
Phone: +49 7123 724-88335
E-Mail: press@ekpo-fuelcell.com
About EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies
EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies (EKPO), based in Dettingen/Erms, Germany, is a leading joint venture in the development and large-scale production of fuel cell stacks for CO2-neutral mobility. The company is a full-range supplier of fuel cell stacks and components used in passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, and rail and marine applications. Within this context, the company builds on the industrialization expertise of two established international automotive suppliers – ElringKlinger and OPmobility.
The aim of the joint venture is to develop and mass-produce high-performance fuel cell stacks to further advance CO2-neutral mobility – whether on road, rail, water, or off-road.