Fuel Cell

Suzuki’s hydrogen-powered Crosscage motorcycle

By Loz Blain

01:23 October 25, 2007 PDT

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

By Darren Quick

04:29 October 10, 2007 PDT

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

By Noel McKeegan

01:35 September 18, 2007 PDT

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

By Mike Hanlon

23:57 September 4, 2007 PDT

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

By Kyle Sherer

16:36 August 16, 2007 PDT

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

By Loz Blain

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

By Loz Blain

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

By Mike Hanlon

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). Read More

E-Flex Hydrogen Fuel Cell continues move toward electric drive automobiles

By Mike Hanlon

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

By Mike Hanlon

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

By Mike Hanlon

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

Morgan breaks with tradition with plan for fuel-cell prototype

By Mike Hanlon

March 9, 2007 It’s showtime at Morgan and the factory of the icon of traditional motoring is abuzz as the show cars are all pushed onto the tarmac (pictured), ready for transportation to Geneva for the season's biggest motor show. It’s exciting but we warrant not as exciting as this time next year when this very same alley will see the Morgan Lifecar which has been promised for next year’s show. Many British specialist sports car makers have fallen by the wayside, but Morgan just keeps on going – and now it’s looking to the future with a plan to be one of the first car makers to commercialise a hydrogen fuel-cell car. The company is famous for its traditional production methods, but for next year’s Geneva show managing director Charles Morgan announced a plan to launch the Morgan Life Car - a hydrogen-fuelled, zero-emissions car – but built using Morgan’s wooden-framed body. The car is intended to demonstrate that a zero emission vehicle can also be fun to drive. Artist’s impressions of the car show a vehicle shaped like the Aero 8, but with aerodynamic fairings covering the wheel arches. It will be a very lightweight car with a fuel cell hybrid powertrain, which will give it a 200-mile range. We first wrote about the LifeCar back in 2005. It’s being developed in partnership with hi-tech specialists including Cranfield University, QinetiQ, Oxford University, Linde AG and the Open Source Car Project (OSCar). Read More

Samsung plans to sell fuel cell for laptops this year

By Mike Hanlon

January 2, 2007 The major drawback of the laptop computer at this point in its short history is battery life and with battery technology the subject of massive global R&D, and the promise of fuel cell technology for laptops in the short to medium term, we are drawing ever closer to being able to survive off-the-grid indefinitely. Accordingly, it was heartening to see Samsung’s announcement last week that it intends to commercialise its fuel cell technology for laptops before the end of 2007. The announcement was in Korean, and some tech blogs (notably Playfuls, engadget and akihabaranews) have had a go at translating it, so if you want the original guff, maybe try it yourself with machine translation from Google, Babelfish or WorldLingo. The pictured Samsung is using a fuel cell dock which will apparently run a laptop for a month, though a smaller version is planned for commercialisation. Read More

The world's best selling fuel cell product - FUN!

By Mike Hanlon

December 8, 2006 Hobby R/C racing enthusiasts will soon operate 1/10th scale radio controlled competition grade vehicles on clean hydrogen fuel cell power. The innovative power unit created by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies follows the commercial launch of its H-racer miniature fuel cell car and solar powered hydrogen refueling station in June this year. Recently named as one of the Best Inventions of 2006 by Time Magazine, the H-racer is now the best selling fuel cell product in the world, and Horizon’s first step in bringing the world a tangible vision for a viable hydrogen economy. Named the “H-cell”, the new R/C hobby power combines an ultra-compact air-cooled PEM fuel cell system with a scaled down fuel storage unit that can safely carry 20 to 40 liters of solid state hydrogen. Widely available 1/10th scale electric R/C cars will now be able to run on real automotive fuel cell power concepts at speeds reaching 35km/h, good acceleration, decreased hydrogen fuel consumption and increased power autonomy over conventional battery solutions. Designed to fit into the original 7.2V NiCad battery slot, the H-cell is designed as a futuristic power source using light emitting air cooling fans. Not limited to cars, the power unit will also be able to be used to power small boats, planes, and robots. Read More

The Fuel Cell Wheelchair

By Mike Hanlon

November 3, 2006 We’re growing more convinced by the day that the future of mobility does not look like the automobile – we suspect the old concept of lugging a few tons of steel around to carry one or two people will be seen as excessively wasteful very soon, and accordingly expect the market for short-distance, one and two person transport to offer a plethora of interesting alternatives. Like this one! Suzuki is showing an interesting fuel-cell-powered wheelchair prototype named the MIO to assess customer interest. The MIO features a fuel cell that uses methanol as a fuel source to generate hydrogen and therefore electricity. The tank holds 4 litres and that’s sufficient to provide MIO with a range of approximately 25 miles. There’s also an LCD display showing fuel level and power sources. Therefore, unlike wheelchairs that rely solely on mains charging of the battery, it addresses users’ fears of being stranded at some distance from their home. Read More

Yamaha shows 125-class fuel cell scooter

By Mike Hanlon

October 30, 2006 Yamaha showed a new fuel cell scooter at this week’s 22nd International Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition (EVS22), in Yokohama, Japan. Though only a prototype, it shows things can go a long way in a year. Yamaha has been developing fuel cell technology for 20 years, and this time last year it was proudly showing it’s FC-ME (wouldn’t you think such a clever company would get a Western-savvy marketing exec to vet their names), a lightweight machine powered by Yamaha’s Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) system, and with the performance of a 50cc scooter. This year the FC-AQEL hydrogen fuel cell scooter prototype has 125cc class performance – though no power figures have been quoted, that’s at least a 100 percent increase over last year’s best and enough grunt to make the FC-AQEL viable in most global markets. Now all we need is a hydrogen infrastructure. Read More

XRT Fuel Cell for Emergency Responders

By Mike Hanlon

September 13, 2006 Making its debut at the Fire Rescue International Expo 2006, which opens Friday in Dallas, Texas, the Jadoo XRT is a powerful new addition to the lineup of fuel cells and accessories available from Jadoo. The XRT has the power density demanded by the emergency preparedness market delivering 2200 Watt-hours (180 Amp-hours) for emergency radio and laptop battery Recharge, Emergency Lighting, Portable Satellite Phones and Modems and offers critical support power when the grid is either unavailable or unreliable. Supporting Jadoo’s N-Gen fuel cell power unit and N-Stor fuel storage canisters, the Jadoo XRT weighs only 50 pounds, but provides the energy of four 45 Amp-hour batteries weighing over 100 pounds. A mobile, rugged fuel cell power package, the XRT can be configured to deliver application runtimes well beyond that of standard deep-cycle, marine batteries. Read More

Peugeot 207 EPURE fuel cell concept car tipped as future model

By Mike Hanlon

September 9, 2006 Peugeot is clearly talking up its latest Paris Motor Show concept car as a glimpse of a future 207 model and the prospect is very exciting – the 207 EPURE concept car uses an electric motor combined with PSA Peugeot Citroen Group’s new 20 kW GENEPAC experimental fuel cell which has been designed in partnership with the French AEC (Atomic Energy Commission). The electricity produced by the fuel cell is used to provide extra power and operating range to the lithium-ion battery and hence the 50kW electric motor. The combination fuel cell - electric powertrain gives the 207 EPURE a range of around 218 miles while still providing a maximum speed of 81 mph. The pearl white exterior of the 207 EPURE highlights the purity of the concept car’s lines while strengthening the ecological credentials of the technology that powers it. Read More

GM builds the Sequel advanced hydrogen fuel-cell concept vehicle

By Mike Hanlon

August 28, 2006 Way back at the start of 2005, the world’s largest automotive manufacturer, General Motors, showed the Sequel advanced hydrogen fuel-cell concept vehicle at the 2005 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), billing it as the culmination of US$1 billion of intensive research it had conducted into fuel cell technology. Like most show cars, the Sequel was not a working model, but now General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner has gone on record as saying “the most technologically advanced car GM has ever built” has actually been built, has an operating range of 300 miles, and will be made available to journalists in the near future. The Sequel is a truly remarkable vehicle, having superseded the AUTOnomy and Hy-wire as GM’s primary showcase of future fuel cell vehicles. See the extensive technical diagrams and photographic library we have assembled here, and read on for all the available detail. Read More

Fuel Cell Motorsport - silent, energy-efficient and modular

By Mike Hanlon

August 19, 2006 We love big ideas and this one is a ripper – a young and dynamic Dutch-based company named Formula Zero is setting up a new fuel cell race car class to help generate public enthusiasm, demonstrate the viability, and accelerate the uptake of emission-free transport. Now here’s the really clever bit – the intention is to construct a complete portable travelling circus a-la-Formula-One, which can be set up on any flat surface, complete with racetrack, grandstands, hospitality, pits, clean technology power and hydrogen generation and timing facilities. The 600 metre track will include seating for 1500 spectators and the races will be held in conjunction with major motor shows, motor racing events, international political summits, industrial fairs and events such as the Paris Air Show, Goodwood, Festival of speed, and the Michelin Challenge Bibendum. Six races will be held during 2008–09 with university teams competing from across the world. The aim is to start with go-karts on the smaller track and scale-up to full size fuel cell race cars on full race circuits as technology allows over the next decade, all under the auspices of the FIA. Formula Zero is seeking sponsors, host event partners and University teams interested in fielding a car and we think this is a winner. Read More

World’s most cost-efficient hydrogen fuel cell car on sale today

By Mike Hanlon

June 23, 2006 We can’t speak highly enough of the educational and sheer novelty aspects of the H-racer fuel cell car we first wrote up in May. Measuring only 16cm x 7cm (6.5" x 2.8" inches!), the H-racer is the smallest hydrogen car in the world and uses a real fuel cell that converts hydrogen fuel into electrical energy without combustion. The only exhaust is water and the car does not use any batteries! In terms of price, well the H-racer is only $40. $80 buys you the entire set including the car, the refuelling station and its solar panel. In the future, the Hydrogen Station will be able to “refuel” other compatible and innovative hydrogen powered gadgets or toys. The car is now officially on sale online. Read More

Renault presents research into fuel cells

By Mike Hanlon

June 14, 2006 Renault will be presenting the progress it has made in fuel cell research at the 16th World Hydrogen Energy Conference in Lyons, France this week. The presentations will illustrate Renault's decision to opt for vehicles powered by fuel cells with reformers in order to apply hydrogen energy to the automobile. This technology directly produces the hydrogen on demand and on board the vehicle, solving the problem of very high-pressure or cryogenic storage. Since 2002, Renault, Nissan and Nuvera Fuel Cells have been working together on this solution, which can be used immediately, without waiting for a hydrogen distribution network to be established. Read More

UltraCell XX25 beta units ready for sale

By Mike Hanlon

June 14, 2006 UltraCell announced the launch of the XX25 reformed methanol micro fuel cell system, at the Power Sources Conference, in Philadelphia, yesterday. The event marks the first occasion when beta units of the XX25 formally go on sale to customers in critical markets. The UltraCell XX25 is powered by a unique, proprietary reformed methanol fuel cell technology that provides totally wireless portable power anytime, anywhere. The UltraCell XX25 is able to run a ruggedized laptop computer for up to three working days on a single fuel cell cartridge. It can also run other portable electronic equipment for emergency responders, operating off of simple and inexpensive methanol cartridges. In addition, the XX25 can be configured with large volumes of fuel for weeks of runtime in stationary applications such as remote video monitoring. Because its lightweight cartridges are hot-swappable, the UltraCell micro fuel system is able to operate indefinitely without any need for electrical recharging, as long as fuel is available. Read More

Methanol Micro Fuel Cell System gets U.S. Army backing

By Mike Hanlon

June 8, 2006 We first wrote about UltraCell’s portable micro fuel cells last year and readership surged in March this year when we announced the company’s new hot-swappable fuel cell system could run a laptop for several days. The company gained further momentum this week when it was announced that it has received a contract from the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center’s (CERDEC) Army Power Division to accelerate development of the XX25, a 25-watt reformed methanol fuel cell, for use as a portable power device for soldiers. The contract will drive advanced system design for the UltraCell unit to operate in extreme operating temperatures and withstand severe shock and vibration. The XX25 has up to a 75% weight advantage over currently available military rechargeable batteries, based on a 72-hour mission at 20 watts. The XX25 also reduces operational costs through the reduction of throwaway primary batteries and the logistic burden of recharging batteries. In addition to the military’s field testing of the XX25, UltraCell is now seeking lead beta site customers in critical markets for testing the UC25 commercial version, which it aims to take to market next year. Read More

New fuel cell promises five times the energy density of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

By Mike Hanlon

April 28, 2006 Maxell Hitachi has announced a new variation on the Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) which uses water and aluminium to generate hydrogen and promises a low cost 10 watt cell (enough to operate a laptop PC) with five times the energy density of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC). With mobile devices becoming ever more compact, there is an increasing urgency to create higher density power sources. Without question, fuel cells will provide the answer, but both DMFC cells which use methanol as fuel and PEFC cells which use hydrogen as fuel, have their drawbacks. The limiting factor for DMFC is a low power density and problems* with the methanol crossover, while for PEFC the complex equipment, high-pressure tank and high cost of the reformer are the limiting factors. Maxell’s new variation of the PEFC generates hydrogen from the reaction of aluminium and water and promises a simple and low cost system suitable for application in fuel cell power sources up to 100W. Read More