Hydrogen

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 The Sequel is a truly remarkable vehicle, having superseded the AUTOnomy and Hy-wire as GM’s primary showcase of future fuel cell vehicles.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

Hydrogen Z.CAR with speed adjusted wheelbase

By Mike Hanlon

August 1, 2006 The Z.CAR is a three-wheeled two-seat city car by prolific Iraki designer Zaha Hadid and it’s one of the most interesting new designs we have seen in a while, using the hinged rear suspension to facilitate a variable (speed adjusted) wheelbase so the car can be better at both country and city driving. In town, the drive-by-wire Z.CAR sits more upright to offer the driver a better view in traffic and to make parking easier - a shortened wheelbase requires less space. At higher speeds the pod lowers around 10 degrees, on the hinged rear suspension, lengthening the wheelbase for greater high speed stability, moving the car’s centre of gravity closer to the road for better handling and tilting the teardrop shape backwards for lower frontal area and improved aerodynamics. The lightweight carbon-fibre composite Z.CAR is hydrogen powered by design, but “there is a functional prototype in development with a British manufacturer, with the fruits expected to be unveiled within 7-12 months” according to inside sources. We think the Z.CAR is ready for prime-time, but not in hydrogen format – there are alternatives but let’s hope a path to market is negotiated because this vehicle promises much. The projected price of the Z.CAR is said to be approximately UKP35,000 (US$65,000). Read More

The Fhybrid front-wheel driven hydrogen-powered scooter

By Mike Hanlon

July 29, 2006 The Fhybrid scooter is a hydrogen electric hybrid two wheeler that has emerged as Crijn Bouman's graduation project at Delft University in Holland and it is a very different form of two wheeler than almost anything that has come before it. For starters, it’s the only front wheel drive two wheeler going around that we know of, has a reverse gear for parking (another first on a scooter), and a range equivalent to that of a normal scooter in that it can travel approximately 200 km on a full tank of hydrogen. Oh, and it doesn’t make any noise or produce harmful emissions and looks very different to normal scooter fare. 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

The world’s smallest hydrogen car hits the showroom floor

By Mike Hanlon

May 19, 2006 Educational toys are a gift that keeps giving for a whole lifetime and every now and again we see a toy that makes the perfect educational gift. It’s no secret that the hydrogen economy is dawning and hydrogen fuel cells will play a major role in the future energy equation of the planet. Similarly, 75% of the jobs which school age children will do have not yet been invented. Add all that together and its an unavoidable conclusion that the H-racer offers a compelling gift for any child at just US$80. The H-Racer hits the market next month as the world’s smallest hydrogen car and comes with its own matching Hydrogen Refueling Station. As a toy, it is a simple construction kit (no soldering required) within a valuable educational context. As a promotional gift, it combines concept, design and practicality, allowing observation of the car’s fuel tank filling up with Hydrogen. As a new energy kit, the car clearly demonstrates how to obtain unlimited storable fuel from just water and sun, then powering a car with it using a fuel cell. Manufacturer Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies makes a range of commercial and industrial fuel cell products and is hence seeking international distribution partners. Read More

Mazda begins leasing Rotary Hydrogen Vehicles

By Mike Hanlon

February 15, 2006 Yet another major automotive company has taken a hydrogen vehicle to market. Mazda announced today that it has received permission from Japan’s Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) to begin leasing the RX-8 Hydrogen RE to corporate customers. The RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicles are equipped with a rotary engine, and feature a dual-fuel system that allows the driver to select either hydrogen or gasoline. Mazda today signed those leases with Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd. and Iwatani International Corporation and delivery is scheduled for late March 2006. Read More

Ford's V10 Super Chief concept runs on hydrogen, ethanol or gasoline

By Mike Hanlon

January 8, 2006 – The Ford F-250 Super Chief concept uses what the company calls "Tri-Flex fueling", enabling the supercharged V-10 to run for 500 miles between fill-ups on hydrogen, E85 ethanol or gasoline. The tri-fuel flexibility is one possible innovation by Ford to help pave the way for hydrogen vehicles, as the nation's ethanol and hydrogen fueling infrastructure continues to develop. The concept truck and its name are inspired by the bold, American Super Chief trains of the nation's past. Super Chief is Ford's most advanced, well-appointed pickup ever – designed to build on the standard for interior excellence established by the new F-150. Read More

Home Hydrogen Refueling Technology Advances with the Honda Experimental Home Energy Station III

By Mike Hanlon

November 23, 2005 Further advancing its vision of a gasoline- and emissions-free transportation future, Honda R&D and technology partner Plug Power has unveiled the Home Energy Station III, which provides heat and electricity for the home as well as fuel for a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle. This third generation unit is more compact and efficient than previous Home Energy Station models and follows Honda’s strategy to develop intermediate as well as longer-term alternatives to traditional energy sources like gasoline. Using natural gas as its base energy source, the Home Energy Station III is designed to work in a home-based refueling environment and is able to supply a sufficient amount of hydrogen to power a fuel cell vehicle, such as the Honda FCX, for daily operation while providing electricity for an average-sized household. Read More

BMW Hydrogen Car Ready for Racing around the House

By Mike Hanlon

August 16, 2005 A BMW powered by hydrogen small enough to race around a lounge room has been built by technology students in Germany. The revved up racer is an authentic replica of the hydrogen-powered BMW that set nine speed records last year, including exceeding speeds of 300 km/h. The full size racer used a modified V12 6.0-litre engine borrowed from the $335,600 BMW 760Li. It was powered solely by hydrogen, just like the 1/8th scale model built by students at the Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences. The scale model makes do with a slightly smaller engine of just 11.5 cc. Like the BMW H2R V12 racer, the scale model emits only water vapour from its tailpipe, making it entirely suitable for racing around the house. It has a top speed of 80 km/h. Read More

Honda FCX Integrates Hydrogen Station Locating Navigation System

By Mike Hanlon

July 28, 2005 It makes sense that with so few hydrogen service stations yet in service that hydrogen vehicle rivers know where they are, Honda has decided to fit all hydrogen fuel cell-powered 2005 FCX vehicles with a special Honda-developed navigation system. This new navigation system is the first in the world to incorporate the location of hydrogen stations, including stations being developed as part of California's "Hydrogen Highway" Initiative. if you're outside California though, you might need more than a good navigational system - 17 of the 26 hydrogen stations listed in the database are in California. Read More

World’s First Hydrogen UAV

By Mike Hanlon

July 4, 2005 AeroVironment (AV) has successfully completed the world’s first liquid hydrogen powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight tests. In doing so, the fifty-foot wingspan prototype Global Observer aircraft accomplished a major milestone in AV’s unmanned High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) development and continued the life work of one of the greatest inventors the world has ever known – Paul MacCready. MacCready founded AeroVironment after achieving the world’s first human powered flight and the world’s first solar powered flight more than a quarter of a century ago. The prototype flight was the last major milestone in the company’s HALE UAV technology development and demonstrates the practicality and operational robustness of the Global Observer system. AV’s Global Observer HALE platform will be able to operate at 65,000 feet altitude for a week at a time with a payload of up to 1,000 pounds. Using only two aircraft in rotation, this will provide seamless communication relay and remote sensing systems at breakthrough affordability. Some of the applications for the new system include persistent, global, near-space loitering capability for defence, low-cost, rapidly-deployable telecommunications infrastructure, hurricane/storm tracking, weather monitoring, environmental monitoring, agriculture optimisation and aerial imaging/mapping capabilities. Read More

Microbial fuel cell promises high yield hydrogen source and wastewater cleaner

By Mike Hanlon

April 29, 2005 The hydrogen economy is looming, and it seems a weekly occurance to see additional announcements of technology adding to the momentum. This week from Penn State University comes the news of an electrically-assisted microbial fuel cell (MFC) that does not require oxygen and uses bacteria to coax four times as much hydrogen directly out of biomass than can be generated typically by fermentation alone. Read More

Hydrogen-powered Forklift

By Mike Hanlon

February 9, 2005 While the availability and infrastructure required for the mass adoption of hydrogen powered automobiles is slowly but surely moving into place, it's still some way off before the average person will be able to purchase a road going vehicle that produces no harmful emissions. But commercially viable hydrogen-powered industrial vehicles are closer to the market than many people think and one of the most likely to succeed in short order is the forklift. Read More

Honda/Plug Power test home hydrogen refuelling unit

By Gizmag Team

November 24, 2004 Honda R&D Americas and Plug Power have announced the successful operation of the second-generation Home Energy Station (HES II), a home-based hydrogen refueling solution for fuel cell vehicles that furthers the development of a hydrogen infrastructure, and in turn, a sustainable energy future. HES II is the further evolution of a joint development effort by Honda and Plug Power to produce a home refuelling unit that provides hydrogen from natural gas for vehicle refuelling, heat for domestic hot water use and electricity for the home. Testing of the HES II system will be done in conjunction with demonstration of Honda's 2005 FCX fuel cell car on public roads in the Northeastern U.S. Read More

Hydrogen transportation boosts portable fuel cells

By Gizmag Team

November 15, 2004 Voller Energy Limited, the world's first developer of fuel cell technology portable generators and battery chargers has announced that the new VE100 v2 portable fuel cell system can use metal hydride canisters which have been approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to transport hydrogen for portable applications. Read More

H2H: The Hydrogen-Powered HUMMER

By Gizmag Team

October 29, 2004 General Motors has adapted a HUMMER H2 SUT to run on hydrogen, and will share it with the office of the Governor of California (aka Arnold Schwarzenegger). The HUMMER H2H will assist efforts to learn more about hydrogen storage and refueling infrastructure development.

"The H2H is a bold experiment that along with the Hydrogen Highway Network will help California demonstrate the economic and technical viability of hydrogen," said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Californians invent the future and the H2H shows that a vehicle of today can run on the fuel of tomorrow." Read More

BMW Sets Speed Records with Hydrogen fuelled V12

By Mike Hanlon

Hydrogen propulsion moved from rockets to racers this week as BMW set nine new speed records for hydrogen powered automobiles. The record attempt was conducted at the high-speed Miramas Proving Grounds in France, where the 210kW hydrogen prototype proved BMW's point that hydrogen can replace conventional fuel without a performance compromise. The H2R Record Car uses a six-litre 12 cylinder power unit and accelerates to 100 km/h in approximately 6 seconds with a top speed of 302.4 km/h (185,52 mph). Based on the 760i power unit, the main modifications involved the fuel injection system being adapted to the special requirements of hydrogen. Read More

Hydrogen-powered zero-emission Scooter

By Mike Hanlon

It acts like a 50cc two-stroke scooter in every respect but that of emissions - instead of producing mass hydrocarbons, it produces water. One of the most interesting new transportion initiatives in years, the German Aqwon is not what you'd expect - instead of being powered by electricity derived from a hydrogen fuel cell, the Aqwon burns hydrogen as its fuel. Read More

Embrio One-Wheel Concept

By Mike Hanlon

This hydrogen fuel cell powered, gyroscopically balanced, one-wheeled recreational and commuting vehicle provides an extraordinary vision of the kind of personal transport we could be using 20 years from now. Read More

Mazda to debut Sports Concept, Hydrogen Rotary Engine

By Mike Hanlon

Tuesday October 21, 2003: Mazda will debut two new concepts at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show including the two-seat Ibuki concept - an open-top, lightweight sports car that hints at a possible design direction of a future Mazda Roadster - and a hydrogen version of the RENESIS rotary engine. Read More

Hydrogen engines to out perform gasoline

By Mike Hanlon

The hydrogen-powered combustion engine is superior in its power and performance potential to a current gasoline engine. This is the conclusion outlined recently by BMW's Dr. Burkhard G'schel... Read More