The Energy Blog

GM, Toyota Dismiss Fuel Cells for Mass Use

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that executives from General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp., at the Geneva Auto Show Tuesday, "expressed doubts about the viability of hydrogen fuel cells for mass-market production in the near term and suggested their companies are now betting that electric cars will prove to be a better way to reduce fuel consumption and cut tailpipe emissions on a large scale."

Both GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz and Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe expressed strong opinions that fuel cells are too expensive and will be for some time and that advances in lithium-ion batteries make them much more practical as a mass-market product.  . . . read the WSJ article

in a somewhat related post, the MIT Technology Review has a little more information on GM's BAS+ mild hybrid system that further explains how the Hitachi Li-ion batteries fit in with that system that increase the mileage by 20% and indicates that GM will use about 100,000 of these batteries annually by 2010.

The new battery pack, a lithium-ion pack made by Hitachi, combined with an improved alternator-generator, can deliver three times more power than the company's older system, which used nickel metal hydride batteries. GM claims that this system will be a perfect complement to another fuel-saving strategy: downsizing the engine and adding a turbocharger for bursts of power. The turbocharger doesn't kick in right away, and it doesn't work well at low engine speeds. But the battery and motor kick in right away, compensating for the so-called turbo lag.

That is quite a change in attitude, considering the large amounts of money that these companies and others have spent developing fuel cells for light vehicles. This agrees with my assessment of the technology that I have expressed several times, most recently in my comments on my post EU Research Shows that Hydrogen Energy Could Reduce Oil Consumption in Road Transport by 40% by 2050.

Could the use of Hitachi batteries in their mild hybrids mean that they might not use A123Sytems batteries in the Volt or the Saturn hybrid? I don't think so, but does Hitachi have a better battery or is it just more available in the required time frame or is it just a means of diversifying suppliers.

EU Research Shows that Hydrogen Energy Could Reduce Oil Consumption in Road Transport by 40% by 2050

The EU HyWays project has released its main report "European Hydrogen Energy Roadmap" The "Roadmap" analyzes the potential impacts on the EU economy, society and environment of the large-scale introduction of hydrogen in the short- and long- term (up to 2050). A few excerpts from the press release announcing the report follow:

The scientific project HyWays funded by the EU's research program has found that introducing hydrogen into the energy system would reduce the total oil consumption by the road transport sector by 40% between now and 2050. Substantial barriers have first to be overcome, ranging from economic and technological to institutional barriers, and actions must be taken as soon as possible. Following a series of more than 50 workshops the project has produced a Roadmap to analyze the potential impacts on the EU economy, society and environment of the large-scale introduction of hydrogen in the short- and long- term, as well as an action plan detailing what needs to be done for this to take place. The report is published as the Member States are due to give their approval of a new €940m public/private research partnership for the development of hydrogen and fuel cells.

The extensive and high-quality simulations of the project predict that the break-even point would be most likely reached between 2025 and 2035. The HyWays Roadmap estimates that in 2030 there will be 16 million hydrogen cars and the total cumulative investment for infrastructure build-up will amount to €60 billion.

I am still not a convert to the hydrogen economy, especially for use in transport vehicles.  I believe that economical plug-in vehicles and electric vehicles can be produced at less cost before the 2025-2035 time period that is cited and by 2050 should be able to reduce oil consumption by significantly more than 40% with biofuels providing a significant reduction in fuel consumption of light vehicles, which is not an option with fuel cells. The development of a low cost fuel cell for transportation is a major technical challenge in itself, let alone the infrastructure required to distribute the hydrogen. I admit that good progress is being made on these items, but why should we have two major projects going when it is clear that one can be economically developed in a shorter time. The EU certainly can proceed independent of the U.S. and Japan, but it seems such a waste to do so. Hydrogen from natural gas or by electrolysis seem to me to be a waste of fossil fuels and/or inefficient use of electricity. Hydrogen may have a place in power production and other large stand-alone projects where a hydrogen transportation infrastructure does not have to be developed.  This should be the first area that is developed. 

Is the Fuel Cell Car Dead?

In a post, yesterday, Tyler Hamilton of Clean Break starts as follows:

It's been a long time coming, but Ballard Power is finally reading the tea leaves and realizing that the dream of a fuel-cell car powered by hydrogen is a dream that only a million-dollar prototype can occupy. The Vancouver-based fuel cell company, an industry pioneer and leader, confirmed today that it was in talks with part owners Daimler AG and Ford Motor Co. about, well, it didn't say exactly.

. . . It kind of makes sense, at least at this point, that the auto companies embrace and drive forward the fuel-cell approach from hereon in.

. . . momentum is on the side of battery technology and the infrastructure to support it needs to be extended and upgraded, instead of created from scratch. . . . more

This has been my view since the start of The Energy Blog and I am glad to see someone else explicitly supporting my views.

Hydrogen Powered Hywet Set for Production

According to the Copenhagen Post the first prototype of the Hywet car will roll out of the garage in August, powered by fuel cells running on hydrogen.

The two-passenger Hywet, equiped with a 13 kW electric motor, a stack of high temperature PEM fuelcells and a Lithium Ion-battery; can accelerate surprisingly briskly to a speed of 80 km.

At current prices for hydrogen the Hywet can be fuelled up for US$19.00 (€13.50), making it competitive with conventional gasoline and diesel-powered cars.

The project is the result of a co-operative effort between private companies Heat and Serenergy and Aalborg University, Mariagerfjord Municipality and the Centre for Material and Energy Technology (Cemtec), based in northern Jutland.

The first prototype cost about DKK 1 million, but Mikael Kau of Cemtec predicted production models will go for about US$37,000 (€27,000), about the price of a traditional mid-sized car in Denmark.

GM Moving Fuel Cells from Development Laboratories to Core Engineering

Per GM press release - General Motors Corp. is moving more than 500 fuel cell experts from advanced development laboratories to core engineering functions to prepare this technology for future production.

More than 400 fuel cell engineers will report to GM's Powertrain Group to begin production engineering of fuel cell systems. Another 100 will transfer to GM's Global Product Development organization to start integrating fuel cells into future company vehicles.

GM shared details about its fifth-generation fuel cell system technology when it unveiled the fuel cell-powered E-Flex version of the Chevorlot Volt at the Shanghai Auto Show in April. This latest system is half the size of its predecessor, yet provides the same power and performance.

The transition is aimed at expediting the company's efforts to produce vehicles that displace petroleum through energy diversity.

Volt is Real Production Vehicle! (for now)

AutoWeek and several other sources reported last week that GM has taken major steps to develop a production version of the Volt plug-in electric hybrid car. They quoted Larry Burns, GM's vice president for R&D as saying "We are doing the production engineering on the Chevrolet Volt, it is a formal product program within our company, just like the Chevrolet Malibu is a product program."

Burns listed the steps in the program that GM is taking:

• They have allocated funds for development. and several other sources
• Engineering work has been started.
• They have selected the next-generation Delta platform for the vehicle.
• They have decided to develop both a ICE version and a fuel cell version.

GM has not revealed a production date for the Volt, but they generally need about 36 months to bring a vehicle to production once the design is frozen which could mean that the Volt could appear as soon as 2010. The Volt has the support of GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz who introduced the Volt and his backing should help keep the schedule on track.

Fuel Cell Volt Introduced at Shanghai Auto Show

GM unveiled the fuel cell version of the Volt at the Shanghai Auto Show.

This 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 petroleum- and emissions-free electric driving. 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.

GM's fifth-generation fuel cell system is half the size of its predecessor, yet it provides the same power and performance. The fourth generation currently powers the Chevrolet Sequel concept vehicle. The Sequel stores 8 kg of hydrogen and delivers a range of 300 miles (483 km). The fuel cell Volt will also deliver 300 miles of range, but with only 4.0 kg of hydrogen (75 miles / kg). Big improvement, but what's the cost?

The E-Flex fuel cell variant also showcases GM's third-generation wheel hub motors, packaged inside the rear wheel to add considerable torque for all-wheel electric drive capability. The new coreless motor technology reduces mass and produces more power compared to the first generation shown in 2003.

Is 2025 the Year for Fuel Cell Cars?

Reuters -- Hydrogen is being touted as an environmentally friendly fuel of the future, but the road to hydrogen-powered vehicles will not be easy, industry experts said at the National Hydrogen Association (NHA) Annual Hydrogen Conference this week.

BMW, Toyota, Honda, GM, DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen had hydrogen-powered vehicles on display at the conference, some costing up to a million dollars a piece and having limited range on a hydrogen fill-up.

Topics raised include the cost of the cars themselves, the cars' limited ranges, hydrogen storage and difficulties of establishing hydrogen refuelling stations.

BMW vice president of clean technology Frank Ochmann predicted that fuel cell-powered cars would be commonly sold and produced by 2025.

He also revealed that the German manufacturer was working on an insulated tank to keep hydrogen in its liquid state. He claimed: "If you put in this tank a snowman, it would take about thirteen years to melt down."

Ford Unveils Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle

Tech Trifecta: Ford Unveils Fuel Cell, Hybrid Electric Edge, with a Plug!

Ford press release via Autoblog Ford cut the fuel cell's size, weight and cost in half and said their approach would double the lifespan of the fuel cell's stack. Ford's plug-in hybrid Edge operates in "battery only" mode for the first 25 miles, moving at speeds of up to 85 mph. When the battery is depleted to 40 percent, it seamlessly shifts to the fuel-cell mode, which recharges the battery for 200 more miles of range. ....

Ford Airstream Fuel Cell PHEV

The Chevrolet Volt was not the only PHEV concept at the Detroit Auto Show. Ford Motor Company debuted a hydrogen-fueled, battery-powered plug-in in the new Airstream concept vehicle. Hardly a credible showing in my opinion.

In their press release they describe the car as follows:

The system, called HySeries Drive™, is powered by a 336-volt lithium-ion battery pack at all times and has a range of 25 miles on a full electric power. Once the battery pack is depleted by about 40 percent, the hydrogen-powered fuel cell begins generating electricity to recharge the batteries, increasing range another 280 miles, for a total driving range of more than 300 miles.

Honda to Launch Fuel-Cell Cars in General Market by 2018

A post on the Auto Channel reports: The AP reported that Honda Motor Co. expects to have begun selling fuel-cell vehicles in the general market by 2018, a news report said Friday.

"In 2018, I believe the development (of a fuel-cell car) will have been very advanced," Honda President Takeo Fukui was quoted as saying, by Kyodo News agency, in an interview in Tokyo on Dec. 25.

Kyodo said Fukui was confident that many customers will want to buy a fuel-cell car if it costs no more than about 10 million yen ($84,000).

The only reason that I post this news is that it reaffirms my belief that fuel cell vehicles are a long way off and that they will be expensive even then.

Honda: Will Start Leasing FCX in California Within 2 Years

According to a Bloomberg article Honda Motor Co., plans to start, within two years, leasing a limited number of fuel cell powered cars based on its new FCX concept, shown left, in California, taking advantage of the state's plans for a hydrogen-fuel network. Marketing will gradually expand from California to other major U.S. markets.

The new FCX sedan has a top speed of 100 miles an hour and can travel as far as 270 miles when fully fueled, 30 percent farther than the previous FCX. The fuel-cell stack is 40 percent smaller than in the previous version and increases the electrical output to 100 kilowatts from 86 kilowatts, said Yozo Kami, executive chief engineer for Tokyo-based Honda's FCX program.

GM: Fuel Cell Vehicles Viable at 1 Million Units

According to The Korea Hearld, Larry Burns, GM's R&D and strategic planning director, speaking during the company's 'Tech Tour 2006' in Shanghai, said:

the cost of building hydrogen fuel cell cars will not exceed that of making conventional fuel powertrain vehicles once volumes reach 1 million units. "Lack of scale is the primary reason for the high costs of fuel cell vehicles."

GM has announced plans to build 100 fuel celled Cheverlot Equinoxes, shown right,  in 2007. (previous post)

The Korea Hearld article said that GM aims to design and validate a fuel cell system that is competitive in terms of performance, durability and cost at volume of $50 per kilowatt (of power generated) by 2010.

VW Researchers Unveil New High-Temperature Fuel Cell

Volkswagen Research has developed a new and innovative type of high temperature fuel cell (HTFC) that means an affordable fuel cell-powered vehicle suitable for everyday use could be available as early as 2020.

This breakthrough is made possible thanks to a new, high temperature membrane and electrodes, which enable significantly more compact, cheaper and more efficient fuel cell systems. In the HTFC protons are exchanged via phosphoric acid. The acid has good electrolyte prperties, similar to water, but has a higher boiling point permitting higher temperature operation and simplifies the water management and humidification required in most PEM cells. On a special screen printing machine, the new electrodes, made of carbon fiber cloth are coated with a new type of paste, which makes the electrode impermeable to water and preventing dilution of the phosphoric acid.

Chevrolet to Build 100 Fuel Cell Vehicles

The Detroit Free Press, among many others, reported that

Today, GM is to announce that it will build the world's largest fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in 2007 -- more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox crossover vehicles to be deployed in California, and the New York and Washington, D.C., areas. ... Vice Chairman Robert Lutz said GM may have affordable hydrogen-powered cars available in mass-production volumes by 2011.

The Auto Channel contributed the following:

The plan dubbed “Project Driveway is " Designed to gain comprehensive learnings on all aspects of the customer experience, Project Driveway constitutes the first meaningful market test of fuel cell vehicles anywhere. ... Larry Burns, GM vice president, research & development and strategic planning. said “The Equinox Fuel Cell is powered by GM’s most advanced fuel cell propulsion system to date, and demonstrates an important milestone on our pathway to automotive-competitive fuel cell propulsion technology development."

Enabled by GM’s fourth-generation fuel cell propulsion system, the Equinox Fuel Cell is a fully-functional crossover vehicle, engineered for 50,000 miles of life. Importantly, the Equinox Fuel Cell is able to start and operate in sub-freezing temperatures during its 50,000-mile life.

Renault Fuel Cell Vehicle with Reformers

Renault, along with Nissan and Nuvera, is developing a power train using fuel cells with reformers. This technology directly produces the hydrogen from a variety of fuels on board the vehicle, solving the problem of very high-pressure or cryogenic storage. They have been working together on this technology since 2002 which can be used immediately, without waiting for a hydrogen distribution network to be established.

The power train consists of the following four components:

1. A fuel tank that can contain gasoline, diesel and ethanol, all of which can be used to supply the reformer. This option was chosen to reduce concerns about the future availability of hydrocarbons. It also means that motorists can choose the cheapest available type of fuel.
2. The reformer, which transforms the liquid fuel into reformate, a hydrogen-rich gas that can be used to supply the fuel cell. The process has six distinct stages. First, the cracking phase breaks down the long hydrocarbon molecule chains into simpler molecules: hydrogen, water, carbon, etc. In the next five stages, the gas is purified until it is ready for use with the fuel cell.
3. The fuel cell, which generates electric power by combining hydrogen and oxygen. The only by-product of this electro-chemical reaction is water, which is then returned in a closed circuit to the reformer that needs water to operate. The water produced by the fuel cell is reinjected into the system.
4. The electric power generated by the fuel cell is transformed to the appropriate voltage by the power electronics and then drives an electric motor.

Toyota Looks to Hybrids, Detroit Pushes Ethanol

A Reuters article highlighted the differences between the policies of U.S. automakers and Toyota as to their approach to making vehicles more efficient and reduce energy independence.  Toyota has already invested in hybrid technology and while U.S. automakers also are starting to make hybrids their emphasis is on alternatively fueled vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. 

I don't see either of these strategies as attacking the problem head on.  Some hybrids, like the Prius, are significant energy savers, but most improve mileage marginally.  Only the hybrids with large energy savings come close to saving the consumer any money due to the large incremental cost of the hybrid.  Toyota currently makes 6 hybrid models with a 7th to be introduced next year. Toyota could produce 1 million hybrids a year in the next decade, which is still a small share of the auto market.

Is This the Best They Have to Offer?

The following, from a recent press release, seems to me to be a reflection of where the fuel cell vehicle program stands.  Is an 88 hp, 100 mile range vehicle the best Chrysler has to offer after over a billion dollars worth of research?  Considering their claim "No other manufacturer comes close to the efforts of DaimlerChrysler with fuel cell technology", we must have a long ways to go before cars that appeal to the consumer are available. Granted it is a supervisors vehicle, but I thought all police vehicles were supposed to be usable in all types of service.  It certainly is not a vehicle that will grab the attention of US consumers.

DaimlerChrysler has introduced the first fuel cell-powered police vehicle to the world. The Wayne State University Police Department in Detroit will operate the Mercedes F-Cell as a supervisor's vehicle on and in the immediate vicinity of the campus, located in Detroit's Cultural Center.

The Mercedes F-Cell is a reflection of DaimlerChrysler's leadership in fuel cell technology. The entire fuel cell system is housed in the floor of the vehicle, leaving full use of the passenger and cargo spaces. It has a range of approximately 100 miles and a top speed of 85 mph. The electric motor develops 88 hp (65 kW), enabling acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 16 seconds. The stack has been developed by the DaimlerChrysler cooperation partner, Ballard Power Systems.

Scientific American Plugs Plug-ins

The advantages of plug-in hybrids are probably quite familiar to most of the readers of The Energy Blog, but this article, via Felix Kramer of CalCars, is especially well written. I especially like their comments in the next to last paragraph where they conclude that the efficiency of a plug-in is much higher than that of fuel cell car.  If you want to read more than is below, you will have to fork over $4.95 at your local newstand. Felix nothing but praise for this article that is appearing in the current issue of Scientific American saying:

"Anything that goes into this 161-year-old magazine is exhaustively examined and 'vetted.'  Thus, it's a major signal that hybrid cars have arrived when an article called "Hybrid Vehicles Gain Traction" appears on pages 72-79 of the April 2006 issue (now on new-stands). That's also true for plug-in hybrids when the cover promotes the article with the phrase 'Plugged-In Hybrid Cars.' This article provides a superb overview of hybrid technology, Then it positions PHEVs as the logical outcome of the evolution of advanced technology vehicles, and explains their benefits. We present a few excerpts below."

By then [2010], next generation technology, called plug-in hybrids will offer motorists still better fuel efficiency as well as other perks: low-cost battery recharging overnight by simply connecting a 120-volt plug to an electrical outlet at home or work, very few trips to the gas station each year, and even the chance to sell surplus power back to the electric grid. Beyond the consumer benefits, however, the new plug-ins would help reduce the release of greenhouse gases by displacing emissions from millions of tailpipes to utility power plants. Today these facilities burn domestically supplied coal or natural gas, and in the future they should generate cleaner electricity from energy sources such as wind, solar or even advanced fossil-fuel systems that capture carbon dioxide for underground storage.

Hyundai Fuel Cell Vehicles

December 16, 2005--Hyundai Motor Company delivered the first of 10 Hyundai and Kia Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) to the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) today. The delivery marked the beginning of a five-year demonstration and validation project designed to evaluate fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen infrastructure technologies.

A team, consisting of Hyundai, Chevron and UTC power, officially began testing to support research into hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology in February 2005 when Chevron opened it first-ever hydrogen energy station at the Hyundai America Technical Center (HATCI) in Chino CA .

In addition to HATCI and AC transit, fleets will also be placed at Southern California Edison and the U.S. Army facilities in Detroit to develop and implement a practical, business-based hydrogen energy infrastructure and associated technologies as a part of the five year program.

Hyundai plans to place two addition Tucson FCEV with AC Transit in early 2006 and will round out the fleet with six Kia Sportage FCEV models in late 2006 and 2007.

While the delivery of the first vehicles in itself is newsworthy, the observation that I have is: Where are the American companies that could have been involved in the development of these vehicles? With all of the controversy now going on about the possible failure of Ford and General Motors, this is just more evidence that these companies are and were not investing their R&D dollars in the right technologies. For the most part American car companies have said that they were not investing in hybrid technologies because the fuel cell was a better answer to our automotive technology requirements. Now they do not have that technology either. Hyundai is a newcomer to automotive technologies, we should be able to beat the pants off of them with the megabucks (formerly) available to our automotive industry. The answer is fairly obvious; the new companies are more flexible, are more open to new ideas and do not have the bureaucracy that stymies adaptation of change.  I do not in any way want to demean the capability or the significance of Hyundai, I am sure their products represent a sigificant contribution to fuel cell technology, certainly more than American car companies are capable of at the present time.

Resource: Hyundai Delivers First Fuel Cell Vehicle to AC Transit to Initiate Fleet Testing Program, Tuscon Post, December 16, 2005

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New Honda Fuel Cell Concept Car

The new Honda FCX fuel cell concept car has a 100 kW power system, a 350 mile range, operation at -20 F and a new more compact fuel storage system.  It is supplied with a new version of Honda's home energy system, powered by natural gas, that generates hydrogen, electricity and heat for water heating, that is claimed to reduce household energy consumption by 50%.

It sounds like a lot of progress in this type of car, but generating hydrogen from natural gas is not what we need.  No mention of price, its a concept car, but it sounds expensive. I'm still not convinced that hydrogen is the way to go.

Green Car Congress has its usual excellent write-up about the car.

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More Hybrid Vehicles

On May 27, Purolater Courier Ltd of Canada announced that it had introduced ten hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and one hydrogen fuel cell electric (FC-HEV) into its fleet in Toronto.  An additional 20 HEVs will be introduced shortly in other metropolitan areas.  If these vehicles live up to expectations the company plans to add up to 100 to its fleet annually. They emphasized the reduction in emissions from the vehicles. The HEVs are expected to eliminate up to 50% of emissions compared to its current vehicles.

The FC-HEV is one of the first put into service in Canada (or any where else?),  It is hydrogen fueled and Purolater is developing a hydrogen generation and refueling system. It will generate hydrogen from water using renewable energy, such as wind power.  The Canadian government highly subsidized the FC-HEV.

Azure Dynamics Corporation made the powertrains and according to their website it has a memo of understanding with Purolator to supply up to 3,000 powertrains.

This sounds great! How about converting our postal fleet to vehicles of this type.

Technocrati tag: hybrid electric vehicles