Fuel Cell

Although first and foremost a platform for humanoid robotic development, Honda's ASIMO has increasingly found itself in a PR role in recent times - a World tour, conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and a Disneyland stage show have all been on the agenda for the stair climbing, hand shaking bot. In its latest gig, a gargantuan 49-foot tall ASIMO float will greet onlookers at the upcoming Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Read More

Mercedes-Benz has put its electric vehicle plans on the table with the announcement of its BlueZERO concept line. The BlueZERO platform is the first Mercedes designed from the ground up to take advantage of an electric drive system - rather than shoe-horning an electric engine into a chassis built around a combustion engine - and Mercedes is hedging its bets with three different energy storage options - the battery-electric E-CELL with a 120 mile range, the hydrogen fuel-cell F-CELL with a 248 mile range, and an extended-range bridging solution, the E-CELL PLUS, which is a battery-electric that uses a petrol generator to provide an extended range of up to 370 miles and easy refueling for longer trips. The lightweight 5-seater vehicle platform houses the drive and energy storage units in a sandwich-floor frame, which makes the cars exceptionally safe, frees up interior and storage room, and centralizes the mass down low for improved handling. Limited production of electric Mercs is set to start around 2010. Read More

Kia has rolled-out the latest chapter in its fuel-cell research vehicle development program at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. Continuing on from the Sportage Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) technology demonstrator which made its European debut in Paris this year, the new Kia Borrego FCEV boasts significant improvements in both range (now over 400 miles) and performance (154 horsepower with a top speed of 100 mph). Read More

GM’s HydroGen4 fuel-cell vehicles will hit the road in Berlin as part of the company's extensive global zero-emission test program. Having already completed over 400,000 miles of testing in the U.S. (where its known as the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell), the tests in Germany will be the first European outing for the hydrogen EV which is capable of 0-62mph in around 12 seconds, has a top speed of 100mph and a range of around 200 miles. Read More

Fuel-cell manufacturer Adaptive Materials and students from the University of Michigan have teamed up to set a new world record for the longest fuel-cell-powered flight of a radio-controlled aerial vehicle. The flight of 10 hours, 15 minutes and four seconds beats the previous mark of just over nine hours set by AeroVironment's Puma UAV earlier this year. Read More

November 23, 2008 Honda pulled the wraps off a Fuel Cell Sport design study model at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, The hydrogen-powered, three-seat FC sports car concept emphasizes the design flexibility and potential of Honda's V Flow fuel cell technology - already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan - and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with an ultra-low center of gravity, powerful electric motor performance and zero-emissions. The design study concept is claimed to offer supercar levels of performance through low weight and a high-performance, electrically driven fuel cell powertrain. Read More

A team of scientists from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) has designed a new "super-lattice" material with incredibly high ion conductivity properties that could lead to the development of more efficient fuel cells capable of operating at room temperature. Read More

Proterra is presenting a prototype of its HFC35 composite body, hybrid-electric bus at the American Public Transportation Association expo in San Diego. Scheduled to start service in early 2009 in a nationwide trial, the 37-seat HFC35 contains a fuel cell hybrid-electric powertrain that emits only water, qualifying the bus as a zero-emission vehicle. However, it can also incorporate diesel, gasoline, and compressed natural gas engines. Read More

It may be destined for the game console rather than the garage, but the GTbyCITROËN concept is still one of the most outlandish examples of automotive design to emerge from the 2008 Paris Motor Show where it's making its global debut. The car is the result of a collaboration between Citroën and the creators of Gran Turismo and will appear in its virtual form in the 5th installment of the popular Playstation game. The imposing real world version stands at five meters long and features a wrap around windscreen, gullwing doors, huge air intakes and an over-sized, mobile rear spoiler. Not surprisingly for a car inspired by a computer game, tech specifications for the GTbyCITROËN are a little light on, although within the game it will do its bit for the promotion of greener motoring with a fuel cell powered electric drive train that's totally emissions free (apart from the electricity running the console of course). Read More