Development and conversion of diesel engines into CO2-free hydrogen combustion engines for commercial vehicles
KEYOU GmbH
MunichNew on Amplifa
About KEYOU
KEYOU GmbH was founded in 2015 by three former BMW engineers and develops hydrogen combustion engines for heavy-duty and local transport. The core of the technology is KEYOU-inside: existing diesel engines are converted so that around 80% of the base engine remains unchanged and only the systems required for optimal hydrogen combustion are adapted. The portfolio includes development services for OEMs, the conversion of diesel engines to hydrogen operation, the conversion of trucks into hydrogen vehicles, and H2 Mobility-as-a-Service with vehicle, service & maintenance, insurance and hydrogen supply. At the company's own engine test bench, an efficiency of 44.5% was achieved in 2018. Customers and partners include EP-Trans, the TALKE Group, Volvo (HyCET project), GP JOULE and Daimler Truck. The headquarters is located in the old Postpalais at Arnulfstraße 60 in Munich; a former engine test bench was located in Nordhausen.
- Site
- München
- Processes
- Engine development services (OEM development, combustion engine technology), Engine test bench testing / efficiency measurement (44.5% efficiency on the test bench), Vehicle construction / conversion of trucks into hydrogen vehicles (18-t truck, HICE.40 tractor, H2 Mobility-as-a-Service (vehicle, service & maintenance, insurance, hydrogen supply), Conversion of diesel engines to hydrogen operation (KEYOU-inside), Development services for OEMs, TCO consulting for fleet operators
- Materials
- Hydrogen (fuel, 350 bar storage), Hydrogen (350 bar)
- Founded
- 2015
- Industries
- Local and heavy-duty transport, Transport & Logistics, Hazardous goods transport (ADR), OEM engine development, Local transport/heavy-duty transport (Heavy Duty)
- 01
Engineering and engine development
- 02
Conversion of the base engine to hydrogen combustion (KEYOU-inside)
- 03
Engine test bench testing and efficiency measurement
- 04
Vehicle construction/conversion into a hydrogen truck
- 05
H2 Mobility-as-a-Service (service, maintenance, insurance, hydrogen supply)
Technology & Processes
Hydrogen (350 bar)
Fuel for the converted combustion engines, stored at 350 bar; classified as zero-emission according to EU standard.
Locations
Munich
DEHeadquarters
Products & Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine development services (OEM development, combustion engine technology)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Engine test bench testing / efficiency measurement (44.5% efficiency on the test bench)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vehicle construction / conversion of trucks into hydrogen vehicles (18-t truck, HICE.40 tractorAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine test bench | – | – | – | – | Nordhausen (historical, 2017) |
Additional services
Reference customers
Company History
- 2015
Founded on 25.09.2015 by three former BMW engineers; Thomas Korn (CEO) has led the company to this day.
- 2016
Nagel Maschinen- und Werkzeugfabrik GmbH (Nürtingen) becomes a strategic investor and takes over the Series A.
- 2017
First public presentation of the prototype engine on the test bench in Nordhausen; Green Product Award.
- 2018
First revenues with major OEMs; German Innovation Award; efficiency of 44.5% on the test bench.
- 2019
Prototype engine runs stably; first reports in Japanese and Chinese press.
- 2020
Start of the EIC funding project, construction of an 18-t truck; inclusion in the SET-100 list.
- 2021
Relocation from Unterschleißheim to downtown Munich (old Postpalais).
- 2022
New investor group (Nagel Group, ES Kapital, Besto, EIC); start of Series B; HyCET project with Volvo (13-l engine for 40-t trucks).
- 2023
First drive of the KEYOU prototype truck on public roads in April.
- 2024
Presentation of two hydrogen-powered tractor units at the IAA Transportation.
- 2025
First 18-t hydrogen truck goes into customer operation; handover to EP-Trans.
- 2026
Partnership with Daimler Truck for the market launch of hydrogen combustion trucks.