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hydrogen

The Fuel Cell Car Myth

March 14, 2017 by Jack Winnick 1 Comment

Toyota Mirai
This Toyota Mirai is a current example of a limited-available fuel-cell vehicle
(photo courtesy of Toyota Motors).

The “fuel cell cars” currently being advertised are being touted as “having no emissions except water.” In a limited sense that is, in fact, true. However, if the entire fuel cycle for the car is considered it most certainly is not. The fuel used by the fuel cell is hydrogen, very pure hydrogen. Combined with oxygen from the ambient air, the fuel cell produces electricity that powers an electric motor and other devices in the vehicle–just like the battery-driven electric vehicles already on the market. These don’t produce any emissions at all. So far, so good. No complicated reciprocating engines, no noise, no smog, minimal maintenance, no global warming.

However, when considering a vehicle its entire energy cycle has to be kept in the picture. All electric vehicles have an energy demand; that energy has to be produced somewhere. For the battery cars it’s pretty simple. The same electricity produced by power plants: fossil fuel, solar or wind-driven, that’s used everywhere else (lighting, air-conditioning, etc.) is used by the batteries in the car. If the source is non-hydrocarbon fuel; that is, not oil, coal or natural gas, there really is no emission from the fuel cycle. But in the U.S., more than two-thirds of our electric energy does come from these fossil fuels. So the electric energy used by the battery-driven cars is responsible for their share of the emissions from these power plants. That includes the carbon dioxide responsible for a share of the global warming (all fossil fuels contain a large percentage of carbon).

The fuel-cell cars don’t use the electricity produced by central power plants, fossil-fuel or not. The only require hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel that yields only water when combusted in oxygen. No carbon dioxide, no global warming. Unfortunately, you can’t harvest pure hydrogen by drilling a hole in the ground. It has to be produced from some other source; that source is almost always a fossil fuel.

Wait a minute, some will say, what about all the water on the planet, isn’t that two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen? Why not get the hydrogen from water? The answer to that question lies in that old devil: Thermodynamics.

Skipping all the math, it says “you can’t get more energy out of a process than you put in. In fact, you can’t break even.” In the case of combustion processes, you can’t even get close. Big modern power plants do best, somewhat more than two-thirds.

Let’s consider an example. Say you want to combust a fossil fuel in a power plant to produce electricity, then use that electricity to separate the water into pure hydrogen and oxygen. It’s an old, established process (electrolysis) that works very well. Now you send that hydrogen through a pipeline to filling stations around the country, where it is pumped into cars and used in their fuel cells. There the hydrogen is combined with oxygen from the air to make electricity to drive the car. Water is the only chemical product. Simple, right? Not exactly. When the inherent inefficiencies of all these processes are taken into consideration, (including the energy cost of the pumping), you would be lucky to get a third of the energy out that you put in. And the source of all that energy was the fossil fuel you started with. The carbon dioxide from the combustion of the fuel becomes emission necessitated by the car.

Aha, you may say, how about using solar cells to make the electricity to drive the electrolysis plants that produce the hydrogen! Well, if you go there, you may as well use the solar-produced electricity to charge the batteries in electric cars and skip the fuel cells entirely. This latter technique is a reasonable process. The fewer the steps, the higher the net efficiency. Sunlight-to-electricity-to-hydrogen-to-electricity is a “Rube Goldberg” machine at its ultimate.

But before dismissing the fuel-cell car concept entirely, consider an option that was actually close to reality about twenty years ago. A fuel-cell car that produces its hydrogen directly from gasoline had a lot of merit. The system was dependent on the viability of a process called “on-board reforming.” Hydrogen is made commercially from oil or natural gas. The fossil fuel is combined with water in a “reforming” reactor, producing mainly hydrogen and carbon dioxide. (No, you can’t get completely away from that stuff, only hope to minimize its production.) If a small enough reactor could be built and installed in the car along with the fuel cells and ancillary equipment, it just might beat the internal combustion engine for efficiency and emission control. The main advantage over the currently visualized fuel cell car: no complicated new delivery and on-board storage system for the hydrogen. No new network of pipelines and high-pressure tanks. The system only makes the hydrogen required at the moment.

Well, a lot of very smart, dedicated engineers and scientists worked very hard (and spent a lot of money) trying to get the scheme to work. Several large companies, along with the government labs, competed to find a successful process. And they came pretty close. In the end it was the fussy nature of the hydrogen fuel cell that killed it. The expensive, precious-metal fuel cell catalyst wouldn’t tolerate even the tiny amounts of contaminants in the hydrogen produced in the reforming reactor. The system grew too big and too expensive to ever compete with the gasoline-driven internal combustion engine. Another example of how nature can tantalize us, but ultimately bring us to our knees.


See Also — What Tax Breaks Are Available For Fuel Efficient Vehicles?

Filed Under: Special Tagged With: electricity, fossil fuels, fuel cell, greenhouse gases, hydrogen, internal combustion engine, power plant, Toyota Mirai, water vapor

Honda Brings Clarity to its Fuel Cell Plans

October 28, 2015 by admin 2 Comments

New Honda fuel cell model goes on sale first in Japan — North America and Europe will follow.

Since releasing its first delivered fuel cell model in 2002, Honda has quietly been making plans for broadening availability in line with the development of hydrogen fueling infrastructures in Japan and as well as in California.

The original FCX — Fuel Cell eXperimental — was a three-door, four-seat hatchback developed in very limited quantities and offered to customers in Japan and in Southern California. In 2008, the hatchback was replaced by the FCX Clarity, a midsize sedan with room for four. The second model improved upon the original’s 190-mile hydrogen range to deliver 240 miles of fuel cell range.

Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

Arriving March 2016: Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

2015 Tokyo Motor Show

With various concepts, prototypes and limited production fuel cell models behind it, Honda has once again presented another fuel cell model, dubbed the Clarity Fuel Cell. Introduced at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show this week, the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell offers room for five and a driving range of 435 miles. The all-new hydrogen-powered sedan will go on sale in Japan next March; an initial annual output of just 200 units is expected.

Significant improvements over the previous generation model have yielded a vehicle with 60 percent longer range. The new fuel stack is 33 percent smaller than its predecessor with 100 kW output attained and with much greater energy density. Honda says the new fuel pack is as compact as a V6 engine, enabling it to consolidate it under the hood for the first time. Energy is stored in a lithium-ion battery; refueling takes about three minutes. Water vapor is this vehicle’s only emission.

Previously, the fuel pack was located below the seats, thus limiting the interior room to four people. With its dimensions similar to the outgoing model and aligning closely with the midsize Honda Accord sedan, the extra seat placement will certainly come in handy.

Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Price

Honda says that the Clarify Fuel Cell will cost 7.66 million yen which converts to $63,644 as of publication. That’s about $5,000 more than the competing Toyota Mirai, a fuel cell vehicle just now going on sale. The Clarity is slightly larger than the Mirai and has an 8 percent longer driving range than the Toyota.

US Honda consumers won’t be able to get the Clarify Fuel Cell, at least not initially. Honda intends to deliver its initial batch of vehicles to Japanese government entities and businesses. The automaker says it will “…collect information about the in-market use situation, including the external power feeding device, and gather diverse opinions from customers and other relevant organizations, then later begin sales to individual customers.” Sales will later spread to the United States and Europe, although a timeline has not be released.

US consumers desiring a fuel cell vehicle are currently limited to the Hyundai Tucson FCEV, the Toyota Mirai, Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL, and the upcoming BMW i8 Coupe and the 5 Series Gran Turismo. Even so, those models are restricted to Southern California where the barebones of a hydrogen infrastructure should flesh out to a more robust framework. Toyota plans to eventually roll out its Mirai in the northeast US.

Currently Available Tax Credits and Rebates

US customers who manage to land a fuel cell vehicle are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit. Another $6,500 state rebate for low and moderate income California families drops that price further. Wealthier California residents are still eligible for a $5,000 rebate on fuel cell vehicles, but for those making over $250,000, tax rebates on battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have been eliminated.

Once again, the high cost of buying an alternate fuel vehicle weights in. And with no nationwide infrastructure planned, fuel cell vehicles may long remain a niche segment within the tiny EV sphere.

See Also — Crumbling Chevrolet Sonic Sales Leads to Layoffs

Photo copyright Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: CALIFORNIA, FUEL CELL VEHICLES, HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL, HONDA FCX CLARITY, hydrogen, HYUNDAI TUCSON FCEV, JAPAN, tax credit, TAX REBATE, Toyota Mirai

Toyota and Mazda Collaboration Will Lift Both Automakers

May 14, 2015 by admin 2 Comments

And so it begins. Giant Toyota and wee Mazda announced a collaborative agreement this week that will benefit both companies. The agreement allows each automaker to leverage products and technologies from the other, a partnership that does not include Toyota taking a financial stake in its much smaller competitor.

What the agreement effectively does is to expand an earlier arrangement whereby Mazda is supplying Toyota with a small car based on its Mazda 2 subcompact platform. That vehicle, the 2016 Scion iA, debuts this fall. In exchange, Mazda can now tap Toyota’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology.

Symbiotic Task Force

The two companies will establish a joint committee to determine how each automaker can make use of the other’s chief assets. The collaboration will be broad and involve a number of disciplines, including various environmental initiatives and advanced safety technologies.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda and Mazda, President and CEO Masamichi Kogai, held a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday to announce the accord.

Toyoda pointed to two strong Mazda initiatives that have helped this small car manufacturer succeed in an ultra-competitive global market: its SKYACTIV Technologies and KODO―Soul of Motion design. Both present an enticing edge that Toyota does not have and can most certainly benefit from moving forward.

Said Toyoda, “Mazda has proven that it always thinks of what is coming next for vehicles and technology, while still managing to stay true to its basic carmaking roots. In this way, Mazda very much practices what Toyota holds dear: making ever-better cars.”

Mazda 2 Scion iA collaboration

One of the earlier collaborations between the two automakers
has turned the Mazda 2 into a 2016 Scion iA.

Toyota Saves the Day

Not mentioned by Toyota’s president is that the provision essentially seals Mazda’s fate. Certainly, ever since the Ford Motor Company severed its three-decade relationship with one of Japan’s smaller automakers, the company has lacked the financial resources, especially the economies of scale, it once had.

For example, the earliest Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute models shared the same bones. Although the Tribute’s replacement, the CX-5, is a superior model, the cash outlay for the compact crossover utility vehicle has been enormous.

Quite frankly, Mazda working alone does not have the resources to keep pace with the big guys. But Mazda and Toyota working cooperatively essentially provides the former with a savior. You can now scratch Mazda off your list of vulnerable automakers.

Speaking on behalf of Mazda, Kogoi said, “Toyota is a company that has shown steadfast resolve in acting responsibly on global environmental issues and the future of manufacturing as a whole. I also have tremendous respect for Toyota’s dedication in its pursuit of ever-better cars through ongoing innovation.”

Toyota Mazda collaboration

Toyota will supply Mazda with hybrid technology.
Perhaps a Mazda diesel is in the offing for this Camry.

Hydrogen and Hybrid Technologies

No doubt, Toyota and its 10.2 million per year car building efforts will energize Mazda and its 1.2 million annual output. The two companies are competitors, but the move will enable each one to plug specific product holes.

For Mazda, the company will gain access to Toyota’s hydrogen vehicle technologies and expand its PHEV offerings. It isn’t quite clear how this arrangement will work, but look for a PHEV Mazda CX-5 or Mazda 6 in the future. Most likely both. Rebadging the hydrogen Toyota Mirai as a Mazda doesn’t seem likely, although that chassis might someday power a future Mazda product.

Toyota gains access to Mazda’s SKYACTIV technologies, represented by fuel-efficient gasoline and diesel engines, advanced transmissions and lightweight bodies. Of special interest could be Mazda’s diesel engines, one of the weakest areas for Toyota.

Toyota does have diesel technology, but readying those engines for the American market would be a costly undertaking. Mazda has a twin-turbo 2.2-liter diesel engine in the wings, one that meets both European and US emissions standards. The engine is suitable for the midsize Mazda 6 sedan and might also be made available with the Toyota Camry.

As for the Camry, not everyone wants a hybrid and the Mazda diesel would give Toyota something that does not involve vehicle electrification. And if certain KODO design elements transfer to the Camry and other Toyota models, the world’s largest automaker may suddenly gain a much-need styling edge.

Collaboration Gauntlet Thrown Down

FCA collaboration or suitor

Sergio Marchionne is actively campaigning
to win a suitor for FCA.

The Toyota-Mazda arrangement may prove to be the most comprehensive one amongst automotive manufacturers yet. Beyond outright mergers, acquisitions and stake holding, most relationships today are based on special projects involving complex technologies.

For example, Honda and General Motors are collaborating on hydrogen technology. Mitsubishi and Nissan are working on supplying the former with a midsize sedan for the US market. Daimler, Ford and Renault-Nissan are working on fuel-cell technologies with the first models expected to arrive in 2017. Every manufacturer is working with someone else to share technologies and to mitigate costs.

And beating the drum for ever broadening industry cooperation has been none other than Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO, Sergio Marchionne. Just this week Marchionne met with Tesla and Apple CEOs, raising speculation that a Silicon Valley partnership may be in the offing. Marchionne has made it known that FCA is looking for a suitor. He has also stated that the global market can only support six major players.

In any case, the Toyota-Mazda joint effort will likely encourage other automakers to boost their efforts. Importantly, the timing for Mazda couldn’t be better as the next economic turn down is approaching, what most certainly will shake out some of the weaker players.


See Also — Auto Industry Buzzword: Collaboration

Filed Under: Special Tagged With: AGREEMENT, COLLABORATION, DIESEL ENGINES, hydrogen, MAZDA, MAZDA 2, PARTNERSHIP, PHEV, SERGIO MARCHIONNE, SION IA, SKYACTIV, Toyota, TRANSMISSIONS

Honda Debuts FCV Concept Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

November 18, 2014 by admin 5 Comments

Honda’s newest green car will debut in 2016.

Honda FCV Concept.

Honda’s next generation fuel cell electric vehicle.

Just as Toyota revealed its own fuel cell electric vehicle in advance of the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda has unveiled its FCV Concept. Like most Honda concepts, the FCV Concept is based largely on a vehicle that the company says will go on sale in Japan in March 2016, followed by markets in the United States and Europe. Honda also made related sketches available to the media to coincide with the debut.

Besides the concept vehicle, Honda also showed a related Honda Power Exporter Concept, representing a concept model for an external power feeding device that enables AC power output from the FCV with a maximum output of 9 kilowatts.

Honda FCV Concept
Honda FCV Concept

Smart Hydrogen Station

Honda also announced the application of a Smart Hydrogen Station (SHS), representing a packaged hydrogen station unit that adopts Honda’s original high-differential-pressure electrolyzer. With it Honda states that it will work “toward the forthcoming hydrogen society under three key concepts – “generate,” “use” and “get connected” – and strive for the early realization of a CO2-free society.”

Honda’s fuel cell electric vehicle involvement dates to the late 1980s. In 2008, the Honda FCX Clarity made its debut, a prototype fuel cell vehicle available that was available for lease by select customers in Japan and in Southern California. However, the FCX Clarity is no longer available to new customers as Honda readies the FCV for production.

Honda FCV Concept
2016 FCV Concept

Honda FCV Concept

Indeed, Honda considers the FCV Concept the direct successor to the FCX Clarity, what will deliver improved performance at a greater cost savings. Honda says the latest fuel cell stack for the concept is one-third smaller than the previous unit with greater output and density. Overall performance is up by 60 percent.

Honda says that the FCV represents the world’s first FCEV with its complete powertrain, including the fuel cell stack, located underneath the hood of the vehicle. Thus, passenger space is not compromised as it is in other models. The FCV Concept seats five adults and Honda says the layout will enable it to be made into multiple body styles once fuel cell adoption becomes more widespread.

Honda FCV Concept

Fueling times of three minutes are possible with the Honda FCV Concept.

Hydrogen Storage Tank

Honda has equipped the FCV Concept with a 70 MP high-pressure hydrogen storage tank that provides a cruising range of more than 700 kilometers (approximately 435 miles). Tank refill time is approximately three minutes, roughly matching the time it takes to refuel today’s gasoline-powered models.

What’s more, Honda says the FCEV features an external power feeding function, something originally tested and improved upon by the FCX Clarity. When combined with an external power feeding device, the vehicle can act as a compact mobile power plant to generate and distribute electricity to the community following a natural disaster.

Along with Toyota and Hyundai, Honda is making a case for fuel cell electric vehicles. A severely limited hydrogen filling station network will temper the roll out stateside, but commitment by the automotive and fuel industries as well as from policy makers could make FCEV adoption easier.

Honda FCV Concept

The concept’s fuel cell stacker is smaller, but more powerful than before.

Honda FCV Concept

This Honda Power Exporter can be useful in a natural disaster.

More Hydrogen News

Toyota Mirai: Fuel Cell Future Realized

UC Davis Study Shows Confidence in Hydrogen

Arrived: 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell

California Hydrogen Refueling Network Receives Backing From Toyota

Honda FCV Concept photos copyright the manufacturer.

Filed Under: Auto Shows Tagged With: ELECTRIC VEHICLE, FCEV, FCV, HONDA FCV CONCEPT, HONDA FCX CLARITY, HONDA POWER EXPORTER CONCEPT, hydrogen

UC Davis Study Shows Confidence in Hydrogen

August 20, 2014 by admin 2 Comments

Report offers support for an emerging infrastructure.

Toyota Mirai.
The Toyota Mirai fuel cell arrives on the market in April 2015.

A new study from the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis, sees tremendous promise in hydrogen vehicles. The study says that fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) may be just a few years, not decades behind conventional electric vehicles, as the state of California partners with industry to construct much-needed fueling stations.

The Hydrogen Transition

Titled, “The Hydrogen Transition,” the study’s researchers believe that a “convergence of factors” are at work to advance the market introduction of FCEVs, at least in California. Indeed, by clustering the hydrogen fuel cell infrastructure in regional areas, costs will be greatly reduced and an early market established before it is deployed nationally.

Hyundai Tucson FCV
Hyundai’s Tucson Fuel Cell is available for lease in California.

The study noted that government and industry collaboration is already driving down vehicle and hydrogen station component costs as new vehicles come to the market. Several manufacturers have been testing small groups of prototype or production vehicles for years. Just this spring, Hyundai introduced its Tucson Fuel Cell, the first mass-produced model to hit the market. Next year, Toyota will bring its own vehicle to the market and other manufacturers have promised to do the same.

“We seem to be tantalizingly close to the beginning of a hydrogen transition,” said lead author Joan Ogden, professor of environmental science and policy and director of the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways (NextSTEPS). “The next three to four years will be critical for determining whether hydrogen vehicles are just a few years behind electric vehicles, rather than decades.”

Building Out an Infrastructure

hydrogen fueling station

A California hydrogen fueling station built by Toyota.

Besides the steep manufacturing costs that has made FCEV production cost prohibitive, a nonexistent infrastructure has also slowed the transition. Indeed, until this year, there were only 11 fueling stations in the United States, with nearly all of them concentrated in Southern California.

Various public-private partnerships have emerged just this year to build a hydrogen infrastructure in California. That collaboration is reducing design costs, what is giving manufacturers and consumers alike the confidence that hydrogen may take hold.

The Davis researchers have estimated that a $100 to $200 million regional investment would make hydrogen cost effective for up to 50,000 vehicles supported by 100 fueling stations. Reaching that threshold would make hydrogen competitive with gasoline on a cost-per-mile basis, according to the study.

Government Backing in Place

Already, California has made a financial commitment of $46 million to build 28 fueling stations. The governments of Japan and Germany are making similar investments in their respective infrastructures.

This past May, Auto Trends reported that Toyota agreed to invest an unspecified amount of money to help bolster California’s infrastructure. The automaker is also partnering with Linde LLC to build a hydrogen fuel station on its property in San Ramon, just outside of San Francisco.

Hydrogen Deployment Highlights

The 53-page report looked at several other points related to hydrogen deployment.

The researchers concluded that effective public policies will go far in developing infrastructure with consumer incentives paving the way toward acceptance. Just as the current crop of electric vehicles come with benefits such as tax credits, free parking and access to High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, FCEV owners might also receive the same.

A recent boom in low-cost natural gas will have a corresponding effect in keeping hydrogen costs affordable. As for national benefits, the researchers found that the subsequent reduction in air pollution, climate change and oil dependence will outweigh the transition costs by a factor of 10 to 1.

The study also noted that automakers are already heavily invested in FCEVs, having committed more than $9 billion thus far. The US Department of Energy says that its own investments have encouraged private sources to jump in, who have spent 6 to 9 times the government contribution.

Tesla Model S.
FCEVs may pose a challenge to Tesla Motors as its Model S.

FCEV Detractors

Despite the billon dollar efforts to build a hydrogen infrastructure, the industry is not without its detractors. Elon Musk, chairman of Tesla Motors, is a strident critic having called fuel cells “fool cells” and a “load of rubbish” reports Bloomberg. Then again, Musk may have the most to lose if FCEVs catch on as his own company is heavily invested in EVs.

Photos courtesy of the respective manufacturer.

Filed Under: Engineering & Technology Tagged With: CALIFORNIA, FCEV, hydrogen, HYUNDAI TUCSON FUEL CELL, INFRASTRUCTURE, Toyota Mirai, UC DAVIS

Arrived: 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell

May 21, 2014 by admin 6 Comments

Consumers interested in green vehicles will soon have access to yet another technology: fuel cell vehicles. Though the technology is not new — it has been tested extensively for a number of years — the 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles that arrived at a port near Los Angeles this week are the first mass produced models to hit the US market.

Sales to Commence Within Weeks

Sales of the new models are expected to commence within the next few weeks. Three Southern California dealers will receive the initial supply.

2015 Hyundai Tucson FCEV
A beautiful sight: 2015 Hyundai Tucson FCEV
disembark near L.A.
You can’t buy the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell (FCEV), but you can lease one.

Hyundai’s leasing program is offering the vehicle for $499 per month, a price that includes unlimited free hydrogen refueling and a valet maintenance program just like the one offered with the Hyundai Equus. Customers will also be required to put $2,999 down for this 36-month lease.

“Hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles represent the next generation of zero-emission electric vehicle technology, and we’re proud of our leadership role in this important segment of the alternative fuel vehicle market,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, corporate and product planning, Hyundai Motor America. “The range and refueling time of our Tucson FCEV compare favorably with gasoline vehicles, making them a seamless transition from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. We’re excited to provide customers in Southern California a way to transition to a zero-emission vehicle with minimal compromises.

FCEV Interest

Hyundai claims that consumers have shown strong interest in fuel cells, with more than 200,000 hits to its fuel cell microsite. In the Tucson Fuel Cell, Hyundai beats out its competitors by offering the first mass produced hydrogen vehicle of its kinds, beating Toyota, GM, BMW and others to the market. Honda has long had its FCX Clarity available, but only in very small quantities.

Hyundai is touting the Tucson FCEV as an “EV for people on the move.” The company says that it will take less than 10 minutes to fully fill the Tucson FCV compared to three hours for today’s EVs using a 240-volt outlet.

Other benefits of the Tucson FCEV is that it has a long driving range, limited weather impact, zero emissions (it emits only water vapor), instant torque and that it uses a domestic fuel source. FCVs also are quiet and the technology scales to other sized vehicles.

Hydrogen Refilling Station Network

The main challenge for consumers will be refueling. At present, there are just 11 public hydrogen fueling stations in the United States — 9 are in Southern California. Earlier this month the state of California updated its plans for a hydrogen refueling network, nothing that Toyota promised to contribute financial backing.

California’s investment is about $200 million and will push the number of filling stations past 100. No other states have yet to commit to the technology as has California.


Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor America.

Filed Under: New Models Tagged With: CALIFORNIA, FCEV, GREEN CARS, hydrogen, HYUNDAI TUCSON FUEL CELL, LEASING PROGRAM, Toyota, water vapor

Hyundai Tucson FCV: First Mass Produced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

November 21, 2013 by admin 3 Comments

Bring it on. The first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle will not come from Honda, General Motors or Toyota, who are among the biggest names associated with this emerging technology. Instead, the winner in the race for the first hydrogen-powered vehicle will be Hyundai when its 2015 Tucson FCV (fuel cell vehicle) hits the market next spring.

2015 Hyundai Tucson FCV.
Arriving Spring 2014: 2015 Hyundai Tucson FCV.

2015 Hyundai Tucson FCV

Hyundai took the wraps off of its Tucson FCV this week at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show. It will be made available at several southern California Hyundai dealerships beginning in spring 2014. With $2,999 down and a 36-month lease signed, customers will pay $499 per month to drive one. The lease package also includes unlimited free hydrogen refueling and access to the company’s “At Your Service Valet Maintenance” plan offered exclusively to Hyundai Equus and Tucson FCV owners. That plan provides a free loaner vehicle if the FCV needs to be serviced, with a Hyundai dealer picking up and returning the serviced vehicle to the customer’s home, including the delivery of the loaner vehicle.

Tucson FCV availability will be restricted to southern California initially. The biggest problem facing this technology is that a hydrogen fueling infrastructure is not yet in place across the country. As of this writing, there are just 10 hydrogen stations in the United States, with eight of these clustered in the Los Angeles area. A ninth station can be found in Emeryville, Calif. The lone east coast station can be found in Columbia, SC.

2015 Hyundai Tucson FCV

How to Order One

The US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center tracks the number of public stations, but not the private ones. The state of California is backing hydrogen energy and has vowed to develop as many as 100 hydrogen fueling stations across the state over the next few years. For its part the federal government has thrown its support behind H2USA, a private-public partnership developed to push for a national hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Automakers such as Hyundai, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan have joined with various gas and hydrogen associations to support H2USA.

Hyundai has established an interest page or what they say is the first step in the Tucson FCV ordering process on it website. Visit Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell and you’ll be asked to provide your first name, last name, email, and zip code. Hit the submit button and you’ll be registered.

This east coast guy did sign up and received the following message: “Unfortunately the Tucson Fuel Cell is not currently available in your area. It may become available in the near future, so please check back and stay updated with our fuel cells.” The sign up page also touts the FCV’s 300-mile range, what some other vehicles offer. Unlike any other mass-produced vehicle, the Tucson FCV runs on water and has zero emissions except for harmless water vapor.

Soon after signing up, I received the following note from Hyundai via email: “You’re now on the list for upcoming announcements about the exciting new Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell. It’s completely reimagining the idea of an electric vehicle. Keep an eye on your inbox for more updates and to find out when the Tucson Fuel Cell will be available in your area.” I had to pull the message out of my spam box, by the way.

How hydrogen power works.
How hydrogen power works.

Refueling and Testing

Hyundai says that the FCV can be refueled in under 10 minutes or for about the same time you would refuel a gasoline-powered vehicle. They are also touting the minimal cold-weather effects of FCV technology compared with battery electric vehicles while emphasizing the 221 foot-pounds of torque derived from its electric motor. Hyundai says that its fuel cell fleet has been in operation since 2000 and has completed more than 2 million durability test miles. That testing has also put the Tucson FCV through numerous crash, fire and leak testing scenarios.

The 2015 Hyundai Tucson FCV will be built at the same Ulsan, Korea, manufacturing plant that produces the gas-powered Tucson. And, yes, I’ll let you know if Hyundai ever follows up with a message announcing availability beyond its initial marketing base.

2015 Hyundai Tucson FCV

Further Reading

Toyota Opens California Pipeline-Fed Hydrogen Station

Daimler, Nissan and Ford Tie One On (Fuel Cell Partnership)

MIT Names Audi, Toyota As Disruptive Companies

KPMG Survey: Automotive Executives and Electric Vehicles

Tucson FCV photos and charts courtesy of Hyundai Motor America.

Filed Under: Engineering & Technology Tagged With: 2015 TUCSON FUEL CELL, crossover, F2USA, hydrogen, HYDROGEN STATIONS, Hyundai Motor America, sport utility vehicle, TUCSON FCV

Daimler, Nissan and Ford Tie One On

January 30, 2013 by admin 1 Comment

Fuel cell partnership to yield vehicles from each company.

Mercedes-Benz F-Cell
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell FCEV.

The move to deeper and more significant collaboration between global automakers took yet another turn this week when Daimler AG, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and the Ford Motor Company signed a three-way agreement to jointly develop a common fuel cell system. The historic accord, announced on Monday, is expected to yield the first mass-produced fuel cell electric vehicles from each manufacturer as early as 2017.

In a joint press statement, the three companies stated that the collaboration will significantly reduce investment costs as well as help define global specifications and component standards. The companies also had suppliers and policy makers in mind with an eye toward encouraging the development of a global hydrogen infrastructure.

Fuel Cell Experience

The partner companies each bring FCEV experience to the table. Daimler has been working on the technology since 1994 and has made 180 patent applications to date. A small number of Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL MPVs have been on the market since 2009.

In October 2011, Nissan introduced its next generation fuel cell stack, enabling it to increase power density by 2.5 times over the 2005 mode. That stack also reduced the amount of platinum used by 75 percent and the stacks cost by 85 percent.

The Ford Motor Company developed its first research prototype FCEV in 1999 and rolled out a demonstration fleet of vehicles in 2005 based on the Ford Focus. From 2005 to 2009, Ford participated in a technology demonstration program in the United States as well as in similar programs in Canada and in Europe, with 30 Ford Focus FCEVs used.

How It Works

Toyota Hydrogen Fueling Station
With Toyota backing, a hydrogen fueling station is in operation in Torrance, Calif.
FCEVs are powered by an electric motor, much as electric vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF, CODA Sedan and Tesla S are also powered by electricity. Highly compressed and pressurized hydrogen is kept in a storage tank with a fuel cell stack used to convert hydrogen gas and oxygen into electricity. A power control unit governs the flow of electricity to the electric motor. A high-output battery stores energy made from regenerative braking and also provides additional power to the electric motor.

Lacking at the moment is a comprehensive and national hydrogen fueling station network. As of publication there are only 10 public stations available, nine are on the west coast. Water vapor and heat are the lone byproducts of FCEVs.

Further Collaboration Possible

The three companies will share in the engineering work for both the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell system at several yet to be identified locations around the world. Additional collaboration on other FCEV components may also flow from the agreement.

As for working in concert with rival companies, Raj Nair, Fords group vice president, Global Product Development, may have summed it up best when he said, We will all benefit from this relationship as the resulting solution will be better than any one company working alone.” Look for that sort of reasoning to be applied to every strategic business relationship currently being weighed elsewhere across the auto industry.

See Also — Ford, GM Collaborate Again on Transmissions

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: COLLABORATION, DAIMLER, FCEV, Ford, FUEL CELLS, hydrogen, NISSAN

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