evelopments in Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
Fuel cell technology is expected to revolutionize the automotive industry, offering an incredible potential to increase efficiency and reduce emissions for many types of vehicles. All of the leading automotive manufacturers currently have at least one fuel cell powered vehicle in development or testing, and much progress has been made in recent years. Some of these concept vehicles can reach a speed of 90 mph and can travel up to about 280 miles before they need refueling. Available in limited supply in southern California is the Honda FCX Clarity, a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) being offered to customers in locations where hydrogen filling stations are now operational.
Commercialization of highly efficient fuel cell powered vehicles is on the not so distant horizon, and there is no doubt as to the environmental benefits of low to zero emissions. Each automobile manufacturer has their own agenda and timeline regarding the deliverance of fuel cell vehicles to the open market, with some indicating availability as early as 2010 and some estimating closer to 2020. According to the California Energy Commission, as of the 2005 model year 65 light duty fuel cell powered vehicles were delivered for testing to a select group of consumers and fleet operations and tested on more than 220,000 miles of public roadways. It is anticipated that public transit agencies will be the first to replace their diesel engine powered buses with fuel cell buses that promise to offer immediate and tangible benefits for commuters, the environment and the transit agencies themselves. Currently, several fuel cell buses are being tested by SunLine Transit. But, there are still a few challenges to overcome before fuel cell powered vehicles can be considered an economically viable alternative to combustion powered vehicles currently available to the general population.
One of the challenges that must be surmounted in order for fuel cell powered vehicles to be economically viable is the affordability of the vehicles. It is important to remember that fuel cell prototypes, like any new technology, tend to be costly and do not represent the cost of the engine or the vehicle as it will be made available to the public. Costs have already been significantly reduced and General Motors has announced that they plan to achieve a competitive cost by 2010 and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the technology. GM is obviously committed to providing reasonably priced fuel cell powered vehicles and when they are made available to the public they will be affordable. Prototypes have been known to have very high cost associated with the technology, often costing more than $3000 per kilowatt to operate. However, so much progress has already been made that, based on current and best technology; fuel cell vehicle engines can be mass produced and designed at a cost of just $225 per kilowatt. The ultimate goal in the automotive industry is to create a fuel cell engine with a cost of $30-$50 per kilowatt which will help give the fuel cell vehicles an affordable MSRP in addition to the incremental fuel savings associated with the technology.
Not to be outdone by Honda, Chevrolet has initiated a program where the new Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle is given to approximately 100 chosen recipients for a no-cost 3-month test period. All expenses are paid and the lucky recipients can drive the vehicles to and from work and errands. Where the hydrogen to power the fuel cell engine can be purchased and how it is stored in the vehicle are two of the most pressing issues facing fuel cell vehicle development. It is projected that hydrogen will be readily available for purchase at energy stations, and some are already operational while plans for others are on the agenda. A national hydrogen infrastructure exists today to serve an expanding industrial market and making hydrogen available to all automotive consumers will require new production and delivery systems, but they do not all need to built at once or in existence before fuel cell cars hit the main roads. Diesel fuel powered vehicles continue to be sold to the satisfaction of many motorists, yet diesel fuel is still only available at approximately 1 out of every 6 gas stations. The distribution of hydrogen could very well follow a similar strategy. It may also be very possible to generate hydrogen at home using small systems called electrolyzers that use electricity to convert water to hydrogen. To achieve a fully commercial range, fuel cell cars need to hold enough hydrogen to run for more than 300 miles. Using pressurized tanks that compress hydrogen for storage, Ford designed a fuel cell vehicle with a range of 380 miles. Other manufacturers that use conventional compressed hydrogen storage have reported more than 200 miles of run time before refueling is necessary. There are many other storage methods being considered and tested, and it seems clear that we are well within reach of a solution that will increase the feasibility of mass produced fuel cell cars.
The U.S. Department of Energy is well aware that we cannot limit our options to any one technology, and is supporting hydrogen and fuel cell research and development in conjunction with other hybrid technologies and biofuels. The ultimate resource for hydrogen is a renewable energy source, like wind or solar power. This would enable hydrogen to deliver its maximum environmental potential. However, the current shortages of renewable energy sources indicate that, at least initially, most hydrogen will come from natural gas. The National Academy of Sciences estimated that hydrogen production for use in fuel cell vehicles would not put undue strain on our natural gas supplies. The Department of Energy estimates that relying on natural gas to produce enough fuel for more than 150 million fuel cell vehicles for the long term would yield only a 20 percent increase in today's natural gas demand. Because the demand will increase incrementally, there will be plenty of time to manage this slight increase in demand and develop alternatives to natural gas, which will become more attractive as the demand for hydrogen increases.
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