• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Automakers Pick Consumers To Test Hydrogen Prototypes

Posted on: Thursday, 28 August 2008, 12:25 CDT

Major automakers such as GM, Honda Motor Co. and BMW AG are putting several hundred hydrogen-powered vehicles into suburban garages, in cities and on the highway to see how they fare in day-to-day driving.

"I heard about it on one of the local news stations on my commute in, that they were offering the chance to drive these," said Albert, an engineer who has always enjoyed tinkering with cars and applied online to participate. "For some reason they picked me."

He was among a small number of testers participating in "Project Driveway," a program that allowed customers to provide feedback on the Chevrolet Equinox electric hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

Several companies are testing small fleets of hydrogen fuel cell cars. They gained attention when President Bush announced in 2003 that the government would invest $1.2 billion to encourage their development.

GM chose participants who live near a fueling station based on their level of interest in fuel cell technology and enthusiasm for new technology. The company covered the cost of the hydrogen fuel, insurance and maintenance.

The Chevy Equinox holds about 4 kilograms of pressured hydrogen in tanks and generates electricity from a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen and delivers the gasoline equivalent of about 43 miles per gallon. While hydrogen is highly flammable, the hydrogen would diffuse into the air in a nonflammable concentration if one of the tanks was punctured or leaked.

Because of a lack of fueling stations and the high cost of development, the zero-emissions vehicles, which emit droplets of water, still face high hurdles. Auto companies do not disclose costs, but the vehicles can cost $1 million and beyond because most are hand-built prototypes.

Hydrogen is typically extracted from natural gas, oil and coal, releasing carbon dioxide from those fuels into the atmosphere. Using fossil fuels to make hydrogen is a transitional step, with the ultimate goal to produce it widely through renewable energy sources, Industry officials say.

“Using natural gas to produce hydrogen emits half the amount of overall emissions compared with a conventional gasoline-fueled vehicle, said Patrick Serfass,” director of technology development for the National Hydrogen Association.

Consumers these days are paying close to $4 for a gallon of gasoline, offering a window into what petroleum-free driving might look like.

Hydrogen can be produced for $3 a gallon of gasoline equivalent with current technology, while the government's target is for the fuel to be available at $1.50 per gallon of gasoline equivalent by 2010, the industry estimates.

Honda is also planning to lease about 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cells to customers in California. One of the first customers is actress Jamie Lee Curtis.

The three-year leases cost $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.

The car has a range of about 270 miles per tank. Honda said it received 50,000 applications through its Web site but could only consider those living near stations in three southern California cities.

"You're not sacrificing anything, and actually for me it's an enhanced driving experience," said Jon Spallino, a Redondo Beach, Calif., businessman who previously drove an older version of the FCX and will lease the Clarity.

Spallino said a popular misconception people have is that you're puttering around in an underpowered, cramped little soapbox.

BMW’s Hydrogen 7 has an internal combustion engine that can run on gasoline or liquid hydrogen, an advantage because of the lack of hydrogen fueling stations. It can travel about 130 miles on hydrogen and shift to a gasoline-powered engine, with a range of 300 miles.

The cars can perform like a conventional vehicle, bolstering their argument that a network of fueling stations are needed, automakers say. The National Hydrogen Association said there are 60 operational hydrogen-fueling stations in the United States and nearly half are located in California.

The U.S. would need to invest $200 billion, including $55 billion in government funding, between 2008 and 2023 to make the vehicles viable, according to a panel with the National Academies of Science.

According to estimates, the maximum number of hydrogen vehicles on the roads by 2020 would be 2 million, a tiny fraction of the nation's fleet.

Albert said after more than 2,300 miles and two months in the Equinox, he sees the potential. He used the vehicle like any other and said the only limitations were the lack of fueling stations and the vehicle's 200-mile range.

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

More News in this Category