Fuel Cell
Proterra's hybrid-electric zero-emission bus
Proterra is presenting a prototype of its HFC35 composite body, hybrid-electric bus at the American Public Transportation Association expo in San Diego. Scheduled to start service in early 2009 in a nationwide trial, the 37-seat HFC35 contains a fuel cell hybrid-electric powertrain that emits only water, qualifying the bus as a zero-emission vehicle. However, it can also incorporate diesel, gasoline, and compressed natural gas engines. Read More
GTbyCITROEN brings Gran Turismo 5 to life
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It may be destined for the game console rather than the garage, but the GTbyCITROËN concept is still one of the most outlandish examples of automotive design to emerge from the 2008 Paris Motor Show where it's making its global debut. The car is the result of a collaboration between Citroën and the creators of Gran Turismo and will appear in its virtual form in the 5th installment of the popular Playstation game. The imposing real world version stands at five meters long and features a wrap around windscreen, gullwing doors, huge air intakes and an over-sized, mobile rear spoiler. Not surprisingly for a car inspired by a computer game, tech specifications for the GTbyCITROËN are a little light on, although within the game it will do its bit for the promotion of greener motoring with a fuel cell powered electric drive train that's totally emissions free (apart from the electricity running the console of course). Read More
Paris debut for Kia Soul Hybrid concept
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The Soul Hybrid concept will be one of four world premiers from Kia at the Paris Motor show next week. Powered by Kia’s Gamma 1.6-liter petrol engine combined with a 15 kW, 105 Nm AC synchronized electric motor and the company's CVT (continuously variable transmission), the concept promises fuel efficiency of 57.6 mpg and CO2 emissions of 117 g/km. Read More
Formula Zero begins - the historic first Hydrogen Fuel Cell Race
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August 31, 2008 Formula Zero is the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell racing series and the historic first ever event was held last weekend in Rotterdam. Four teams clearly stood out from the field in vying for the celebrated first ever victory for a fuel cell racing machine, with the Dutch Greenchoice-FORZE Team (Technical University of Delft) setting the fastest time of 38.416 seconds of the portable racetrack in Saturday’s qualifying, narrowly ahead of Spain’s EuplatecH2 (Escuela Universitaria Politécnica La Almunia de Doña Godina). Sadly, the speed shown by the Belgian Zero Emission Racing Team on Friday (37.800) did not materialize on Sunday, and the British Imperial Racing Green Team’s reliability over race distance did not stand up well in the non-traditional FORMULA ZERO race format. Though Team FORZE won the main race on Sunday, the Spaniards won the initial sprint race, and will go down in history as the winners of the first fuel cell racing event. Read More
Artificial Photosynthesis provides clean, cheap Hydrogen
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An international team of researchers led by Monash University has used manganese, a chemical involved in photosynthesis, to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using only sunlight and an electrical potential of 1.2 volts. Scientists claim the process could provide a clean, cheap method of producing hydrogen for fuel cells and energy generation. Read More
Electric Nissan to debut in 2010
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August 12, 2008 What will the electric car ownership experience be like? Nissan has given us a glimpse of what early adopters are letting themselves in for - rather than bundling expensive, consumable battery packs into the price of the car, Nissan plans to sell its 2010 mass-market battery-electric car for around the same price as a standard petrol car, and lease the battery pack to the buyer on a monthly fee. And the battery lease plus electricity charges should still end up cheaper than a petrol bill. Don't worry, it won't look anything like the test vehicle pictured! Read More
Fuel cell breakthrough promises cheaper eco-friendly cars
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A team of Australian scientists has developed a new fuel cell prototype that could pave the way for a generation of much cheaper, more fuel efficient fuel-cells for powering eco-friendly cars. The new fuel cells feature a new cathode made from a conducting polymer rather than the expensive cathodes used in existing fuel cells. Read More
Pangaea - the world's largest, cleanest expeditionary sailing ship
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The 35-meter two master PANGAEA is the largest and most flexible polar expedition sailboat ever built. It can navigate through tropics and rivers as easily as it can through polar regions, and will travel to five continents, including the North and South Pole. Read More
Hydrogen burning Scorpion sportscar unveiled
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Texas based Ronn Motor Company has lifted the wraps on a new environmentally friendly hybrid vehicle that features an in-built hydrogen on demand system. Currently in pre-production and due for release before the end of the year, the sporty “Scorpion” runs on a 30-40 ratio blend of hydrogen and gasoline, promising reduced emissions and 40 mpg plus efficiency. Read More
Major auto manufacturers commit to eco-friendly development
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Two separate announcements from the automotive world this week have given further impetus to the growth of energy efficient vehicles. Volkswagen has teamed up with Sanyo to develop high-performance lithium-ion based storage systems for use in its hybrid diesel and electric-drive systems and the ongoing Renault-Nissan Alliance has resulted in the Scenic ZEV H2 - a prototype based on a Renault Grand Scenic which features Nissan’s in-house developed fuel cell stack, high-pressure hydrogen storage tank and compact lithium-ion batteries that will be shown in Barcelona in June. Read More
London’s iconic black cabs to go green
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May 23, 2008 While improvements in engine technology have led to a marked improvement in fuel efficiency and carbon emissions in vehicles running on internal combustion engines in recent years, even greater cuts in emissions need to be made to tackle the global environmental problems associated with them. We’ve seen commercial airlines turning to biofuels, trucks running on liquefied natural gas and buses using ethanol engines. One of the most promising solutions for the humble car of the future could is hydrogen fuel cell systems, with a number of car manufacturers investing heavily in development. Read More
Mobion Fuel Cell GPS
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We’ve been writing about the coming of micro fuel cell technology to replace current lithium ion and similar rechargeable battery systems in hand-held electronic devices for a long time now, with prototype devices from Toshiba and MTI Micro being the most prevalent. While it’s been a long time in coming to market, fuel cell technology will almost certainly eventually prevail, so the showing of an embedded fuel cell prototype handheld GPS device at the 10th Annual International Small Fuel Cells Conference on the weekend is significant. Based on direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology, MTI Micro’s Mobion power packs promise an increase in run time (time until a recharge is needed) of between two to ten times over the status quo of existing battery technologies. Read More
H2Origin demonstrator vehicle achieves 300km range
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April 23, 2008 A three year collaborative research project by PSA Peugeot Citroën and fuel cell specialist Intelligent Energy has born fruit in the form of the H2Origin demonstrator vehicle, a battery-electric vehicle that uses a specially designed hydrogen fuel cell to triple its range to an impressive 300km (186 miles). The hydrogen storage system developed for the zero-emission demonstrator vehicle, which is based on the Peugeot Partner Origin van, is compact enough to squeeze under the bonnet and utilizes a swappable storage rack of compressed hydrogen tanks that slide out the rear, by-passing the need for a conventional fuel station and therefore simplifying the infrastructure needed to make hydrogen-powered vehicles a commercial reality. Read More
First manned fuel-cell flight
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April 7, 2008 Boeing has added another chapter to aviation history by flying a manned airplane powered by hydrogen fuel cells (preview article here). The milestone is the work of Boeing Research & Technology Europe (BR&TE is part of the legendary Phantom Works advanced R&D unit) in Madrid, working with a raft of industry partners across the world. A two-seat Dimona motor-glider with a 16.3 meter (53.5 foot) wingspan was used as the airframe . Read More
Collaboration aims to kick-start hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in the U.K.
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April 2, 2008 Fifty million metric tons of hydrogen were produced in 2004, and the hydrogen production industry grows at an estimated 10% per year. But for hydrogen-powered cars to emerge as a serious competitor to fossil-fuel-powered transport there still needs to be substantial development of infrastructure. The latest push towards this goal in the U.K has seen ITM Power Plc and Roush Technologies Ltd sign a co-operative agreement that not only aims to put hydrogen-fueled commercial vehicles on the market within months, but also encompasses the development of hydrogen refueling station infrastructure that will enable vehicle operators to generate their own hydrogen supplies. Read More
Suzuki and Intelligent Energy commit to hydrogen motorcycle
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Motorcyclists will no doubt remember the highly unconventional Suzuki Crosscage Hydrogen Concept bike from last November’s Tokyo Motor Show. The bike was developed in conjunction with British Intelligent Energy (the same folk who developed the ENV fuel cell motorcycle in 2005). Suzuki and IE this week executed a further development agreement which envisages the progression of their collaboration to commercially viable fuel cell motorcycles – it means that the Crosscage, or something quite like it, will appear in a showroom near you. Even more interesting though, is that IE’s home hydrogen generation plants appear the perfect partner for a fuel cell motorcycle – brew your own hydrogen. Read More
AeroVironment's hybrid fuel cell UAV sets flight record
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March 7, 2008 AeroVironment (AV) has achieved a new long-duration flight record with its hand-launched Puma small unmanned air vehicle (SUAV). The fuel cell hybrid-powered Puma flew for over nine-hours eclipsing the previous record of seven hours set by the same craft in July 2007. Read More
Chevolet's Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle to be used at Virgin Atlantic Airways
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March 6, 2008 Chevrolet’s hydrogen powered, zero emission Equinox fuel cell will be used at Virgin Atlantic Airways for complimentary ground transfer service for passengers. The partnership will occur in the middle of Project Driveway, Chevrolet’s 30-month initiative that involves placing more than 100 zero emission, hydrogen powered electric vehicles on the streets of key cities around the world to gather detailed feedback from users – the world’s largest fuel cell market test. Read More
Corgi International announces H2GO fuel cell powered toy car
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February 7, 2008 The automotive market is set to undergo momentous change over the next decade as the impetus of low-emissions, alternative fuel designs that have recently dominated the Concept offerings from major auto manufacturers continues to grow and prototypes move towards commercialization. But at the other end of the scale - literally - the application of hydrogen fuel cell technology in particular is already making its mark. The latest example comes from toy-maker Corgi International, which has unveiled a new hydrogen fuel cell powered radio controlled toy car at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in Germany. Called the H2GO, the new RC car uses a propulsion system based on Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies' pioneering H-Racer. Read More
Pre-production version of HydroPak water-activated portable power generator completed
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January 5, 2008 Millennium Cell Inc. and Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies have announced the completion of a pre-production version of the HydroPak portable power generator that incorporates a unique water-activated cartridge system. The HydroPak product combines Horizon’s fuel cells with Millennium Cell’s Hydrogen on Demand storage technology to offer a clean and quiet power generator for use by consumers and professionals for emergency and recreational purposes. Read More
Honda set to release hydrogen fuel cell car – and home fuelling station
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It seems Honda is gearing up to be the one of the first major companies to bring a hydrogen fuel cell car to market – their FCX Clarity is set to go to production in 2008, in a move they’re hoping will break the catch-22 dilemma stopping motor companies from producing cars because there’s no hydrogen distribution, and stopping fuel companies from distributing hydrogen because there’s no cars that use it. To nurse consumers through the infancy of the hydrogen economy, Honda’s also attempting to decentralize the production of hydrogen through their Home Energy Station unit, which sits outside your house and reforms natural gas to produce enough Hydrogen to power both the car and the home’s energy needs at around 50% of the normal cost and with a 30% emissions reduction. Read More
Water-Activated portable power products possible for 2008
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November 22, 2007 Millennium Cell Inc. and Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies are nearing completion of a beta version of a portable power generator that incorporates a unique water-activated cartridge system to provide 400 Watt hours of “instant power”. Read More
Micro-UAV distance record smashed
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November 4, 2007 A hydrogen fuel-cell powered Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has set a new distance record for craft of its type while only using a quarter of its available fuel. The “Pterosoar” flew 78 miles (120 km) - beating the previous record of 50 miles set in Estonia last year – consuming only 16 of the 64 grams grams of Hydrogen stored on board in a pressurized hydrogen tank, giving the aircraft a potential flight range of 310 miles (500 km). Read More
Subaru doubles the battery range on its electric car concept
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November 2, 2007 Bucking the industry trend towards Hydrogen fuel cells, Subaru has released a vastly improved second cut at a plug-in a battery-electric commuter car. The 65-kilowatt, 5-seater G4e’s new high energy-density lithium-ion batteries give it a 200km range from a charge (more than double the previous R1e’s range) and using a quick-charger it can be topped up to 80% in only 15 minutes. The new Subaru’s stats make it an instantly viable commuter, while underlining the exciting potential this fledgling sector will offer. Read More
Suzuki’s hydrogen-powered Crosscage motorcycle
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Here’s one of the more radical concept motorcycles we’ve seen in a while – Suzuki’s Crosscage concept is a fuel-cell powered electric bike with single-sided suspension front AND rear. The brushless electric motor’s mounted inline with the rear wheel, and looks-wise it’s so far out there that it’s on its way back again. Seems like Bridgestone’s even developed a special futuristic-looking tyre to match the bike’s oddly tesselated discs. We’ve just encountered the amazing concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, where our heads are still spinning from all the ground-breaking technology on show. Read More
Toshiba's fuel cell powered portable media player
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October 10, 2007 Toshiba demonstrated their latest Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) technology at CEATEC Japan 2007 with the unveiling of a prototype version of the methanol powered Gigabeat multimedia player. Building on Toshiba’s previous offerings the new player can run for up to 10 hours on 10 milliliters of methanol, longer than would be possible using a similarly sized conventional battery. The prototype integrates the fuel cell power plant into the back of the player - which runs on nearly 100% methanol - and discharges the vapor created through natural evaporation. Besides playing music and video, the player is equipped with a TV-tuner and features a capacity meter for tracking the amount of fuel you've got left. Read More
iSlide: Segway meets skateboard in radical urban transport concept
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These days the term skateboard tends to refer to a whole raft of different transport modes that go way beyond the two-axle, four wheeled conveyances that rose to prominence in the 1970s – everything from in-line caster boards to spokeless mini-motorcycles and sit-down street machines tend to be categorized under the genre. Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the ramp, a new concept has emerged that could see self-balancing technology and electric propulsion incorporated into the skateboard design. The iSlide concept by industrial designer Ofir Tal is a one wheel motorized board that utilizes a hydrogen fuel cell and onboard gyroscope to attain speeds of around 15 kph. Read More
i-Blue – Hyundai’s third generation Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
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September 5, 2007 The Frankfurt Motor Show is the premier European show of the year this year and not surprisingly, the manufacturers are all putting their best environmental foot forward. For relatively new international auto companies such as Hyundai which don’t have a history of premium design to fall back on, they have to work much harder to make waves in an international showcase and from the photos at least, this work appears to have paid off. Three new cars will be unveiled by Hyundai at Frankfurt, and the two concept cars are beauties. Read More
Hydrogen powered Ford Fusion 999 tops 207 miles per hour
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After a year of construction and ten years of research, the fuel-cell powered Ford Fusion 999 has scorched across the Salt Flats of Utah at the Bonneville Speed Week, clocking an incredible 207.297 miles per hour and giving Ford the mantle of the world’s first automaker to set a land speed record for a production-based fuel cell powered car. Read More
World's first hydrogen-powered racecar to debut this weekend
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July 15, 2007 Alternative engine technologies face several challenges in the battle to be viewed as a serious alternative to the internal combustion engine - and a key hurdle is the perception that they can't deliver enough power and performance to compete with their fossil-fuel burning counterparts. How better to dispel such fears than to race a hydrogen-powered car against petrol-powered competitors? The first hydrogen-powered race car will take to the track this weekend in the worldwide Formula Student category, and if the notion of green car racing catches on, we can look forward to watching the ingenuity of the racing community making some significant contributions to the development of emission-free consumer cars in the near future. Read More
Lightweight, hybrid multifunction fuel cell to lighten soldiers' backpacks
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July 5, 2007 Infantry soldiers have a tough lot in life. Apart from being constantly shot at and placed in risk of bodily harm, they're frequently forced to carry around large amounts of heavy equipment, sometimes weighing over a third of their bodyweight. On a typical 5-day-operation, disposable and rechargeable batteries alone account for about ten kilograms of backpack weight, not to mention the various charging devices for cell phones, PDAs and visual systems. There's good news though - German researchers have developed a lightweight hybrid power supply that will soon be able to ease the load. Read More
Acumentrics demonstrates extended operation of fuel cells on synthetic JP-8 diesel fuel
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May 8, 2007 Acumentrics, a leading developer of solid-oxide fuel cells and uninterruptible power supplies for the distributed generation market, announced today that they have proven 1300 hours of fuel cell operation on synthetic JP-8 fuel. The synthetic JP-8 (“S-8”) Fischer-Tropsch fuel was provided by the Air Force Research Laboratory, and was produced as part of the DoD Assured Fuels Initiative. According to the company, this accomplishment marks one of the first fuel cell successes with heavy hydrocarbons in an extended run. Because Acumentrics’ ceramic fuel cells operate at high temperature, they accept lighter hydrocarbons such as propane and natural gas directly, and disassociate the fuel inside the cell, via in-situ reformation. For fuel cells to be of most use to the military, they must operate on heavy fuels. The heavy hydrocarbons in diesel and JP-8 require catalytic reforming before they can enter a cell. For this test the company employed a separate InnovaTek reformer (pictured).
E-Flex Hydrogen Fuel Cell continues move toward electric drive automobiles
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April 21, 2007 The number of significant announcements coming out of the Shanghai Motor Show underlines the growing importance of the Chinese Auto market on the world stage, and fittingly, given that the Chinese Government seems far more committed to sustainable personal transport than its American equivalent, the star of the show in technological terms was the next iteration of the General Motors’ E-Flex electric architecture, configured with the company’s newest, most efficient hydrogen fuel cell system to date. This second variant of the E-Flex system uses GM's new fifth-generation fuel cell propulsion technology and a lithium-ion battery to provide up to 300 miles (483 km) of electric driving. The fuel cell E-Flex is a true Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) and operates all-electric from both hydrogen fuel cell-generated electricity and grid electricity. It is plug-in capable, adding up to 20 additional miles (34 km) each time it is charged, further reducing trips to the refueling station. Read More
The educational Hydrocar – US$79 reversible Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell toy car
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April 2, 2007 One of our favourite educational products, the H-racer fuel cell toy car, (additional stories here and here) is getting two stablemates with equally fascinating possibilities. With the hydrogen economy beginning to take shape and hydrogen fuel cells likely to play a major role in the future energy equation of the planet, educating our children about fuel cells is an investment in their future. Now the US$115 H-Racer (and Hydrogen Station) will be joined by the US$59 Fuel Cell Car Science Kit and the US$79 Hydrocar, which uses a next generation reversible Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell Read More
Boeing working on Fuel Cell Airplane
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March 28, 2007 With all the effort we are witnessing in developing environmentally progressive technologies for automotive applications, it’s great to see that Boeing researchers and industry partners throughout Europe are planning to conduct experimental flight tests this year of a manned airplane powered only by a fuel cell and lightweight batteries. The systems integration phase of the Boeing Research and Technology Europe (BR&TE) Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane research project was completed recently and thorough systems integration testing is now under way in preparation for upcoming ground and flight testing. The Boeing demonstrator uses a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell/lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor, which is coupled to a conventional propeller. The fuel cell provides all power for the cruise phase of flight. During takeoff and climb, the flight segment that requires the most power, the system draws on lightweight lithium-ion batteries. Read More
