electric vehicles
DOE Takes Delivery of Fuel Cell Chevy Equinox
With the addition of a Chevy Equinox fuel cell electric vehicle to its fleet of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, the U.S. Department of Energy has joined the team of pioneers helping to make fuel cell vehicles a reality. For the next six months, DOE employees will use the Chevy Equinox electric vehicle to conduct day-to-day business while sharing real-world performance data.
The initiative is a part of Chevrolet's Project Driveway, a market test helping to bring fuel cell vehicle technology to market. It places more than 100 Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles in the hands of drivers in Southern California, Metropolitan New York and Washington, DC. The public can volunteer to participate by logging on to Chevy's Fuel Solutions site at www.chevy.com. Over the next two years, participants will be chosen to provide feedback on the vehicle's performance in exchange for free fuel, insurance and the use of the vehicle for two to three months.
London's Black Cabs To Go Green
A collaboration between Intelligent Energy of Loughborough, U.K; Lotus Engineering Ltd. of Norfolk, U.K.; London Taxis International Ltd. (LTI) of London, U.K.; and TRW Conekt of Solihull, U.K, plans to outfit a fleet of classic black London cabs with hydrogen fuel cell power systems for the 2012 Olympics. This program is a part of the U.K. Technology Strategy Board's £23 million allocation for 16 low carbon vehicle development projects.
Powered by fuel cells and batteries configured into an electric hybrid, the taxis will be able to operate for a full day without refueling. When needed, the hydrogen tank will be refueled at a central depot within minutes. With a 75mph maximum speed, the vehicle's fuel cell powertrain will provide better acceleration than a standard taxi. The fuel cell system will function at temperatures as low as -20°C, and fit in the space allotted to the engine in the current LTI TX4 taxi design.
Honda Fuel Cell Vehicle Is Lighter, More Efficient
Honda's new hydrogen-powered vehicle, set for leasing within a few months, radically reduced the sizes of its fuel cell and motor to provide the same interior space as a regular car. The sedan will be available for lease in California this summer at $600 a month, and in Japan this fall at an undisclosed price. The new FCX Clarity has a maximum speed of 99mph and seats four people.
The new Clarity is an advance on Honda's current fuel-cell vehicle, which became available for lease in Japan and the U.S. starting in late 2002. The main improvement came from a design breakthrough in the fuel cell stack. It weighs148 pounds, about 30% lighter than the previous model at 212 pounds, and a third of the size of the unit in Honda's first fuel cell vehicle in 1999.
Beiqi Foton to Operate Fuel Cell Buses in July
Beiqi Foton Motor launched China's first city bus at the recent Beijing auto show with a model using third-generation zero-emission fuel cell technology. Beiqi has produced four city buses powered by the fuel cells and will put them on trial in Beijing after approval from industry and municipal authorities.
Ouyang Minggao, a professor from Tsing University in charge of the project, said that the bus is the first "zero-emission vehicle" in China. "If its trial run in July is successful, this will prove our success in the research and development of the fuel cell technology," Ouyang said.
The bus (Ou-V Bus or Eu-V Bus) is equipped with the NiMH power battery and uses the hybrid fuel cell power to achieve the zero-emission standard.
Beiqi Foton said it will produce only a limited number of the fuel-cell-driven buses later due to cost. The company will export some of the fuel-cell buses, and it has received the first order from the U.S. for the vehicle.
