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TUKE - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and MATADOR Group presented the hydrogen concept of the MH2 car in Dubai

The MH2 is the first concept of a Slovak hydrogen car. It is an example of effective collaboration between academic and the private home sector.

On the first of October, the gates of one of the world's largest exhibitions of this year, the Expo 2020 Dubai, opened and Slovakia is not missing there. One of the main themes of our pavilion is the future of mobility and progressive technologies of the next decade. These attributes are also embodied in the first Slovak hydrogen concept of the car called MH2, which was jointly created by the TUKE - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the MATADOR Group.

The hydrogen concept of the MH2 car is a carrier of progress, new visions and shows the innovation potential of Slovakia. MATADOR Group, as the leader of the Slovak industry, has been operating in the automotive sector for more than a century and has transformed its rich experience into a super sports car with hydrogen propulsion. The concept car is the highest level of the showcar, so it is not yet a fully functional prototype. The task of the concept car is the necessary possibilities of future unique technologies, which will be realistically applied in practice in the coming years. As the president of the MATADOR Group, Mr. Štefan Rosina says, “in the MATADOR group we have long believed in hydrogen propulsion, and I am personally a big fan of hydrogen because I consider it to be one of the successful alternative propulsions in many means of transport. I am convinced that hydrogen will also play an important role in other sectors, e.g., in power engineering.” He adds, “At MATADOR Group, we have had the ambition to create our own car for several years. Ground-breaking things often arise in collaboration, and we are pleased to have built this MH2 hydrogen concept car together with the TUKE-Faculty of Mechanical Engineering because we felt a common ambition shared with us by many skilled people on both sides.”

The main carrier of the sports concept of the MH2 car is its hydrogen drive. Hydrogen, compared to other fuels used today, is specific in its properties and the basic advantage of using hydrogen in transport is the zero production of emissions during its reaction in the fuel cell. The MH2 car's hydrogen concept has several low-pressure metal hydride tanks housed in it. This concept of hydrogen storage requires intelligent temperature management, which not only removes heat but also supplies it. The main advantage of this solution is high storage security and relatively low energy requirements of storage compared to high pressure tanks. "At our Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at TUKE, we have several top experts who have been working for many years on hydrogen technology and its effective application in real transport. We are very happy that this project with MATADOR Group has been given the green light and we have given these skilled people the opportunity to excel and use their knowledge on a real project.” says the Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at TUKE, Mr. Jozef Živčák.

Like any sports car, the MH2 hydrogen concept car has a timeless design. It is a presentation of the latest technologies and materials. The shape of the MH2 itself is very aerodynamic and with its musculature it resembles a starting athlete on the starting ground. "The overall design and shape of the vehicle concept looks like a tense unit ready to start, leaning towards the road - again like an athlete ready to accelerate immediately on the starting area," says MH2 chief designer Mr. Branislav Maukš. The MH2 sports concept symbolizes a unique, functional design which, in the case of the hydrogen concept car, makes it possible to achieve a drag coefficient below 0.2, which prolongs the vehicle's range itself. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h the MH2 should reach in 4 seconds. The maximum speed of the hydrogen concept is approximately 250 km / h. The current hydrogen concept could not be filled and combined with hydrogen because the metal hydride containers have not yet been homologated.

Slovakia will be one of the 192 countries that will present their thought and technological potential for the future at the World Exhibition.

The MH2 hydrogen concept is the bearer of these ideas and the future technological potential of Slovakia. You can see this hydrogen exhibit in the Slovak pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai from the beginning of October to March 30, 2022.