The South Tyrolean snow groomer manufacturer Prinoth, which has its Austrian headquarters together with Leitner and Demaclenko in Telfs in Tyrol, has presented its second hydrogen-powered snow groomer. This time, however, the hydrogen is burned directly in the engine instead of in a fuel cell.
The new version of the “Leitwolf h2Motion” has a 13-liter six-cylinder engine that is similar to a diesel engine, describes Martin Kirchmair, Technical Manager at Prinoth. The only difference is the fuel tank. The hydrogen is stored in five tanks mounted on the rear of the machine, increasing run time compared to the fuel storage of the first vehicle version. Previous tests showed a runtime of more than three hours. The snow groomer is primarily designed for slope preparation in larger ski areas. In December 2020, Prinoth presented the “Leitwolf h2Motion”, the world’s first snow groomer powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. At the same time, work on other hydrogen technologies was pushed ahead. The fuel cell vehicle has a maximum engine output of 400 kW/544 hp and a maximum torque of 2300 Nm. The hydrogen tanks are sufficient for an operating time of four hours. In addition, Prinoth is already using a purely electric snow groomer that stores its energy in a 190 kWh battery. With 200 kW/272 hp and 1150 Nm, it can be used for around three hours.
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