Designworks collaborates with Shell to improve hydrogen refuelling

BMW Group subsidiary Designworks and Shell have collaborated in the development of an innovative hydrogen dispenser that will improve the refuelling experience.

Designworks and Shell say that hydrogen vehicles have proved to be “increasingly suitable” for everyday use and offer the potential to become an important low carbon transport option for the future.

The new dispenser design will create a seamless experience for hydrogen drivers on the forecourt and help to encourage the adoption of hydrogen as a transport fuel of the future. 

BMW Group subsidiary Designworks, a design studio which deals with the challenges of designing for the future of mobility, was commissioned by Shell to develop the design of a new hydrogen dispenser.

Designworks approached the project applying BMW’s research and design process of “Fixstern”, or “fixed star. This approach to innovation creates a future vision, a focal point that all stakeholders can share in common, align to, and drive towards – according to BMW.

Sonja Schiefer, director of the Munich studio of Designworks, says: “Next to enabling product innovation, one of the most important benefits of the Fixstern process, is its power to create commitment for a common goal by providing a tangible vision that multiple project partners can work towards.”

Hydrogen dispenser models currently on the market are based on those designed for conventional fuels. To produce products for a world of clean energy, Designworks created Oasis, a dispenser concept that departs from the “H” or “L” shaped fuel dispensers presently on the market.

It introduces a new product typology with an “I” shaped, pillar-like design which the company hopes has a more user-friendly appeal. Oasis takes inspiration from natural forms and rises upwards creating a beacon both from close up and from a distance.

The company says the Shell dispenser design is clean and simple with all mechanical parts made invisible. When approaching the dispenser, the user will experience a light guidance system, a generous information screen and an innovative nozzle for refuelling.

The light concept helps guide the overall flow of cars on the forecourt by providing precise and clearly visible information about the dispenser’s occupancy and the remaining fueling time.

A concise graphical communication concept was developed for the interaction screen on the front of the dispenser, to provide clear and easily accessible information. It allows users to keep track of their refuelling time and price, request maps to check route details or dive deeper into the world of hydrogen.

For the refuelling nozzle, the design team created a new pick up and mount mechanism, which provides a highly intuitive way of removing and returning the nozzle.

To make the refueling experience even more comfortable, a screen was integrated directly into the nozzle guiding the user through the refueling process step by step.

Beyond offering a new kind of refuelling experience, the new dispenser concept, with its uncluttered design language and easy to use functionality, makes a clear statement about the future of hydrogen, say the companies.

Oliver Bishop, hydrogen general manager at Shell, says: “Customers are at the heart of what we do. We are pleased to have collaborated with Designworks in the development of a new hydrogen dispenser that will allow us to provide customers an improved hydrogen experience.

“It will not only make refuelling seamless, it will also help make hydrogen fuel an even more attractive option in the future.”