Germany – While the Hübner Chassis Technology division of the Hübner Group of Kassel, Germany is still working towards finding its first customer for building the first prototype vehicle incorporating its new airless suspension system - called the Hübner hydropneumatic damping and suspension system - it strongly believes the benefits it offers for battery electric buses and trucks and perhaps trailers too, will lead to wide scale adoption in the future. Dr. Mark Wöhrmann, General Manager HEMSCHEIDT Fahrwerktechnik, explained that Hübner is in discussion with one bus builder to integrate an hydropneumatic system in a new vehicle concept, but no agreement has yet been signed for a project to go ahead.

The company, he said, received much interest in the new suspension and damping system from delegates at Mobility Move, a congress held in March by the VDV (Germany’s Transport Companies Association) on electric buses in Berlin, following a presentation by Dr Wöhrmann. He stated that he had integrated his presentation with those from SAF-Holland Group and Haldex AB with the latter’s electro-mechanical brake, as it only makes sense if the need for compressed air is eliminated from the vehicle’s complete system. The key interest in the new technology, Dr Wöhrmann stated, stemmed from the fact it was removing the need for compressed air in trucks and buses for braking and suspension systems, as this offers many advantages in terms of vehicle weight and energy efficiency, as well as packaging and space on a vehicle for other equipment such as extra batteries or additional hydrogen storage tanks.