Powerfuel

Hydrogen production on site!

Thanks to the hydrogen model car, visitors can understand the principle of a fuel cell vehicle and produce hydrogen themselves on site to power the small vehicle. 

Avenergy Playground!

How do you explain to children in a fun way the simple basic principle of hydrogen as the fuel of the future? By letting them “trample” water molecules with their feet, i.e. separate them into their individual parts, on an interactive play surface. The resulting climate-neutral hydrogen then makes its way to the filling station and refuels one of four types of vehicle.

Hyundai NEXO fuel cell vehicle

The NEXO is an environmentally friendly, five-seat crossover SUV with fuel cell drive, which has been produced by Hyundai since 2018. Hydrogen contained in the fuel cell reacts with oxygen from the ambient air to produce electricity for the electric motor to use while driving. Instead of exhaust gases, only water vapour is emitted.For more information: [https://www.hyundai.ch/models/nexo/](https://www.hyundai.ch/models/nexo/)

Back to the past

Timeline of the history of road transport from 5000 BC to the present day.

Explanatory film on hydrogen

How does a hydrogen car actually work?

Powerfuel: discover the path towards CO2-free

Individual mobility is changing, and with it, so are fuel stations. Technical progress and the goal of reducing CO2 emissions in mobility mean that more and more different fuels are needed. For example, biofuels and hydrogen reduce CO2 emissions in transport without any loss of comfort. Fuel station operators are instrumental in increasing the spread of alternative and climate-friendly fuels. In addition to petrol and diesel, they already offer hydrogen, biofuel, electricity and natural gas/biogas. Synthetic fuel will soon be added to the list.  This exhibition shows the contributions being made by the industry association Avenergy Suisse and Empa in the area of fuels, both today and in the future, to ensure safe, reliable and environmentally friendly mobility. It is a long way from research and development to the widespread marketability of a product. The exhibition illustrates the path towards CO2-free mobility by means of specific and practical examples.

Figures and statistics on petrol stations and fuels

Wayne Model 60, USA around 1940

In the early years, fuel pumps were designed to stand out and attract motorists to filling stations. The Wayne 60 series has been produced in many different variations over the years. All models were built between 1935 and 1946.

Modern hydrogen filling station

The refuelling system for trucks and buses (350 bar) as well as the one for cars (700 bar) is integrated in the dispenser. The gaseous hydrogen is filled directly into the vehicle using a special nozzle. This process takes only a few minutes and is comparable to that of petrol and diesel. For passenger cars, the hydrogen is pre-cooled to -40 °C during refuelling. 

Explanatory film on synfuel

How are synfuels produced?

Examples of hydrogen in mobility

Switzerland’s fuel supply: petrol

Empa – The Place Where Innovation Starts

Empa provides sustainable solutions for the pressing issues of today – and tomorrow.

Transport and mobility – always a hot topic at Empa

Ever since it was founded more than 140 years ago, Empa, the research institute of the ETH Domain for materials research and technology, has been developing innovative technologies that advance our society and our economy. Very often, the inventions of our researchers are related to transport – because there is always a great deal of technology in cars, planes and trains, as well as in bridges and roads!

This is how electricity gets into the tank

Discover the petrol station of the future

Visitors can discover the winning project of the design competition “Filling Station of the Future 2030” and will see that the provision of fuel will continue to have top priority in the future. Participants had to show how the filling station of the year 2030 could pick up on new trends in mobility and consumer behaviour. The aim was to find approaches that were visionary whilst remaining realistic enough to be feasible from today’s perspective. Service quality and the idea of providing a service should be maintained despite progress.

Switzerland’s fuel supply: diesel

Switzerland’s fuel supply: petroleum gas

Switzerland’s fuel supply: electricity

Switzerland’s fuel supply: Synthetic fuel

Switzerland`s fuel supply: Hydrogen

Crude oil is Switzerland’s most important source of energy