Hybrid News

Filed under: Hydrogen, BMW

BMW certainly hasn’t been shy in promoting its hydrogen-powered vehicles, and that promotion extends into some classrooms. As part of its education/promotion campaign, BMW has issued a document called H2 - Mobility of the Future, and yesterday provided an updated version of the package on this website by clicking on the heading “Educational Projects.”

What’s in this “educational package”? 31 chapters on the supply of hydrogen, how fossil and renewable energy will continue to play a role in BMW’s future and how we’ll eventually get to a hydrogen economy. The H2 package also includes “an extensive glossary, a list of additional internet links, as well as a portfolio of exercises specially tailored to the needs of pupils aged 15 and older. Practical notes from Germany’s State Institute for Teaching Quality and Education Research (ISB) on the inclusion of the materials in science teaching round off this information pack.” Sound like good reading? The Bavarians will mail you a free print copy if you’d like (see details after the jump).

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW updates free “H2 - Mobility of the Future” documents

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hydrogen

We - and our readers - know quite well that “increase your MPG” claims fly fast and furious in the green car industry. One such claim is that adding hydrogen to your gasoline or diesel fuel line will make your car burn the fuel cleaner and therefore get more miles per gallon. We’ve tackled the question about whether on-board hydrogen generators can increase your MPG - they don’t. No, seriously, they don’t - but there have been a lot of people who feel the need to test this system, or at least did back in 2006 (see here and here).

Nonetheless, Hydrogen Hybrid Technologies is hoping that people are ready to give on-board electrolysers and Hydrogen Fuel Injection (HFI) a chance in their own vehicles. HHT says that it has completed field trials of the HFI system and would be more than happy to install the system in your car through its network of “over 140 Certified Installation Centres all across Canada, the United States, and a number of international markets.” HHT’s words are after the break, but we’ve gotta recommend reading this before you go to the shop.

[Source: Hydrogen Hybrid Technologies Inc.]

Continue reading Read carefully before you retrofit your car with Hydrogen Fuel Injection

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Hydrogen, European Union, UK, USA

We’ve been keeping tabs on the Formula Zero racing series since we first heard about it in 2006. Using hydrogen to generate electricity which then powers electric motors to propel these small Formula 1-esque cars around a track, there will be no emissions coming from the vehicles taking part in this race. The first leg of the inaugural 2008 Championship this year will be taking place on August 22 in Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Really, the timing of this event could not possibly be better as the entire world is looking for ways to reduce its oil consumption and even the pinnacle of road racing, Formula 1, is looking to lower its environmental impact.

Six teams are taking part including the U.S.-based team from Lawrence Technical University in Michigan with their Element One and the U.K.- based team from The Imperial College of London. We’ll be naturally keeping an eye out for the results. Stay tuned.

[Source: Formula Zero]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Hydrogen, Ford

We’ve been following the Ford fuel cell fleet for two years now, and have done our own in-depth test drive of the hydrogen-powered Focus. Ford has been keeping a detailed record of their own experience with these advanced powertrain vehicles and likes what it sees. The company announced today that the Focus Fuel Cell vehicles “performed better than expected” and will be on the road for up to an additional two years thanks to an extension of the program Ford has with the U.S. DOE. Thus far, the advanced fleet has traveled more than 865,000 “real world miles” and these vehicles will go many more before the next-generation hydrogen system is ready around 2010. That system should address weaknesses in the current one, and be able to go farther on a tank of hydrogen, be more reliable and start up when it’s below freezing out. Details after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford expands fuel cell test fleet tests by two years

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Hydrogen, On Two Wheels, China

Nearly a year ago, we first laid eyes on a hydrogen-powered moped from the Shanghai Pearl Hydrogen Power Source Technology Company. Although the machine had, um… questionable aesthetics, we were impressed by its 60-mile range at 15 miles per hour and relatively low $2,600 price tag. According to a report on Shanghai Daily, 30 of the hydrogen-fed units have already been exported. By 2011, the Chinese manufacturer hopes to be building 1,000 units per year for sale both in China and abroad. Considering that many electric two-wheelers already cost more than the hydrogen-powered ebike from Shanghai, there could be a real market for these vehicles, though the hydrogen fueling infrastructure is most definitely still in its infancy.

Other brands, such as Suzuki and Intelligent Energy, have plans to introduce hydrogen-powered fuel cell cycles of their own. Both the Crosscage and ENV, though, would surely cost significantly more than their Chinese counterparts.

[Source: Shangai Daily via Faster and Faster]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Hydrogen, SEMA Show, USA

Click above for more high-res renderings of the Ronn Motors Scorpion

Ronn Motors, the company we introduced you to a while back, plans to properly introduce the world to its Scorpion supercar at the upcoming SEMA Show in Las Vegas. We have very real doubts as to whether the vehicle will function as the company claims. Ronn says its car breaks down water into hydrogen which is then injected into the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine sourced from Acura. Sure, they could get some hydrogen from water and inject it into the engine along with the air/fuel mixture, but at what gain? These systems have been proven not to work many times, though some still claim that their fuel mileage has dramatically increased after installing them. Let’s just say we are highly skeptical but would love nothing more than to be proven wrong. In any case, we are looking forward to getting an early glimpse into the production bodywork considering that the renderings that we’ve seen have been pretty darn impressive, as you can see from our gallery below.

[Source: SEMA]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Hydrogen, MPG

Last week we ignited some healthy discussion in the comments with my post on the (de)merits of on-board hydrogen generators and injectors. While few could argue with my basic thermodynamic analysis of the process, defenders repeated the claim from producers of these systems that something magical happens when you add hydrogen to the air fuel mixture of an engine. We’ve looked into this a little further in recent days including with a powertrain engineer that actually understands combustion processes. In the comments on the previous article a number of readers repeated claims that adding H2 gas or the H2/O2 blend has a catalytic effect on the combustion properties. While there is no evidence of this being true, the addition of hydrogen to the mix can have some beneficial effects in certain circumstances.

Hydrogen does indeed have a faster burn rate than gasoline. Blending even a little bit of it with gasoline will indeed increase the burn rate of the mixture. The idea that was put forward in at least one of the comments is that this would faster burn would trigger knocking in the engine that would be detected by the engine management system resulting in retarding of the spark and more of the explosive force pushing the piston down during the power stroke. This is nominally true, but it only applies to newer engines that have knock sensors. There are however a number of problems with this. Read on after the jump for the rest of this discussion.

[Source: Fuel Cell Insider, Popular Mechanics]

Continue reading HHO generation/injection redux: It’s not a fuel cell, fails in testing!

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Hydrogen, Suzuki, European Union, India, Paris Motor Show

Suzuki already has a little experience with vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, as its Crosscage motorcycle concept has been around the block a few times already since it first debuted in Tokyo last year. That two-wheeler is now a running prototype and will again be shown off in its latest form at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. Along with the Crosscage will be Suzuki’s SX4 FCV, a hatchback with a fuel cell provided by General Motors.

Along with the hydrogen-powered electric machines on display, Suzuki will also debut its new Alto economy car. Built in India by the Suzuki/Maruti joint venture, the seventh-generation Alto will likely get a 1.0-liter engine which will be fully Euro V emissions compliant. While the fuel cell vehicles are likely still a ways off from regular production, the Alto will be on sale in India and in Europe shortly after the Paris Motor Show in October. We’ve pasted the press release after the break.

[Source: Suzuki]

Continue reading Paris preview: Suzuki to show new SX4 FCV

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Flex-Fuel, Hydrogen, Mazda

Click above to enlarge the Mazda Hydrogen RE

As any regular reader of our site is aware, there are many issues with the notion of using hydrogen as fuel which need to be overcome before there is any chance that you’ll find yourself refilling your new car at a hydrogen station any time soon. Not the least of these is the fact that there are almost no hydrogen stations in the first place. Also, whether the hydrogen is used in a fuel cell for an electric car or burned directly in an internal combustion engine, there aren’t actually any hydrogen-powered cars available today which you can just go out and buy. Mazda may soon change all of that by introducing a hydrogen-powered rotary-engined RX-9. According to Auto Express, the new car will be dual-fuel capable, with clean credentials coming from hydrogen and performance credentials coming from gasoline. Amazingly, the article claims that Mazda’s hydrogen RX could be ready for sale as early as 2012.

[Source: Auto Express]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Hydrogen, Honda, USA

Click above for more pics of Ms. Curtis getting Clarity

Following Ron Yerxa and Annette Ballester’s delivery of the first Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car, Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, Christopher Guest, have become the second couple in Southern California to receive their new wheels from Honda. So, what does Curtis think of her newfound Clarity? “I really wasn’t expecting it to be so luxurious,” said Curtis. “It’s luxurious, luxurious, luxurious! I love the interior layout, design and access to controls. It is user-friendly and very modern.”

While the case for hydrogen as fuel is a topic full of debate, it would be hard to argue that Honda’s most recent fuel cell sedan isn’t world’s better than its first. Styling wise, for sure, the new Clarity is a huge step forward, as is the electricity-generating fuel cell stack. If you want one, don’t get your hopes up. The vehicles are only being leased in Southern Cal and Japan, and there won’t be many of them available. The official press release is after the break.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Jamie Lee Curtis receives her Honda FCX Clarity

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Hydrogen

One of the biggest cost drivers for electrolyzers and fuel cells is the need for precious metals like platinum to act as catalysts. At $1,700-2,000 per ounce, it can rapidly drive the costs of a fuel cell through the roof. As a result one of the main areas of development in fuel cells has been reduced use of catalysts and new catalyst materials. MIT Chemist Daniel Nocera has been working on this problem and discovered that cobalt and phosphate may make an excellent substitute in electrolyzers. At $2.25 an ounce and $.05 an ounce, respectively the new catalysts have a huge cost advantage and reportedly are just as effective. Nocera and his team came to the realization by studying how photosynthesis in plants works to split water into its component elements. On the fuel cell side Chemist Bjorn Winther-Jensen of Monash University in Australia have developed a polymer material that is as effective as platinum in turning hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water. While it is not as cheap as the cobalt and phosphate, at $57 an ounce it is still a tiny fraction of the cost of the precious metal.

[Source: Scientific American]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Hydrogen, Green Daily

A quick Google search is all that is required to find hundreds of stories of people who claim to have increased their fuel mileage by installing a hydrogen generator which extracts hydrogen and oxygen from water and funnels the gas into the engine. Some of the claims are pretty wild, and the Japanese company Genepax has again lit a fire under the topic of running a car on water. While the Genepax car uses a conventional fuel cell, most of the “kits” available on the Internet introduce a bit of gas into the engine which is then combusted along with the liquid gasoline.

It is, of course, natural to feel a desire to buy into the hype promised by these systems. The truth, though, is that large fuel economy gains are highly unlikely. Popular Mechanics has decided to build themselves one of these systems for testing. The mag intends to install the finished product in an automobile and report back. We’re keenly interested in their findings, though we’re pretty sure we already know what will happen. Stay tuned.

[Source Popular Mechanics]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Hydrogen, Green Daily

Currently, hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. But if Ford gets its way, we’ll have to rethink our science texts in the coming decades. At least, according to The Onion we might.

In yesterday’s Onion Radio News piece, anchor Doyle Redland talked about the new Foresight, a hydrogen-powered SUV from Ford. As Bill Ford says in the piece, “The 11-ton Foresight will be unaffected by the price gouging whims of OPEC as it uses water electrolysis to gather fuel from the oceans and the fresh mountain air.” The one problem is that this one model is expected to use up all of the world’s hydrogen supplies by 2070. Of course, by then, we might be in the stars and can collect hydrogen from space.

Remember, it’s all a joke, and an old one at that. This article was first published a few years ago and talks about a Fall 2004 rollout of the Ford Foresight. Still funny, though.

[Source: The Onion]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Hydrogen, Ford

Ford, BP and the State of Florida have just opened a new hydrogen station to fuel six Ford Focus cell vehicles that the State is using for different purposes. The station belongs to the Ford-Department of Energy Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project. This is the second such station opened in the state (the first one uses hydrogen supplied by Chevron instead of BP).

One of the Ford Focuses will be used by the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) park rangers at Wekiwa Springs State Park. Two more cars will be used by DEP’s Central Regulatory District for field inspections, whereas the remaining three will be driven by Progress Energy’s specialists and account managers at their Jamestown Operations Center.

Ford has already selected 7 cities around the world to perform similar tests for possible future adaptations of hydrogen technology for everyday use. The picture above shows a similar station built in Michigan.

[Source: Ford]FORD AND BP OPEN SECOND HYDROGEN STATION IN FLORIDA

OVIEDO, Fl., Dec. 7 - Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F], BP and the state of Florida today marked an important milestone in their collective path towards the use of hydrogen as viable alternative fuel for the future by opening a second hydrogen station that will fuel a fleet of Ford Focus fuel cell vehicles.

The new station is part of the Ford-DOE Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project. Ford and BP officials were joined today by members of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Progress Energy Florida and the U.S. Department of Energy.

“This opening represents another step forward for hydrogen as an alternative fuel,” said Sheral Arbuckle with Ford Motor Company’s Research and Advanced Engineering Department. “We have made much progress in hydrogen propulsion over the past 15 years and we are pleased that our Energy Partner, BP, continues to support this project with the much needed infrastructure to fuel our vehicle fleet. This is another major milestone in this joint government and industry initiative.”

One of the hydrogen-powered Ford Focus vehicles gives the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) park rangers a pollution-free ride during everyday operations at Wekiwa Springs State Park, which attracts nearly 185,000 visitors annually. Home to a handful of freshwater springs, the 8,000-acre park protects the headwaters of the Wekiva River. Two more vehicles are utilized by DEP’s Central Regulatory District for field inspections. Progress Energy’s energy-efficiency specialists and customer account managers are using the remaining three hydrogen-fueled cars at their Jamestown Operations Center.

“Florida is pleased to be opening the state’s second hydrogen fueling station in six months,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “By using state-of-the-art technology such as hydrogen to fuel six vehicles in Central Florida we are demonstrating the power of innovation.”

The hydrogen demonstration project is part of an initiative unveiled in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Energy. Through the federal government’s Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project, Ford supplied the Florida DEP and Progress Energy with six hydrogen-powered Ford Focus fuel cell vehicles. BP America supplies the cars with hydrogen fuel through a grant from the state of Florida.

“BP is committed to developing cleaner fuels” said Maria Curry-Nkansah, BP’s hydrogen business development manager. “With this station, we will continue our work to gain real-world experience in hydrogen fueling infrastructure and help build public awareness of this developing technology. This program is an example of how government, energy companies and the auto industry are working collaboratively to assess the potential of hydrogen as an alternative fuel.”

Ford, Chevron and Progress Energy Florida opened the state’s first hydrogen station in Orlando in May. This station fuels four Ford Hydrogen-powered shuttle buses used at the Orlando airport and provides a test platform for showcasing the production, storage and dispensing of hydrogen fuel.

Research into hydrogen, including partnering to begin to build an infrastructure, is part of Ford’s overall efforts to address the challenges of climate change and energy independence. Ford is moving ahead with a range of technological solutions simultaneously, such as hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles; hydrogen internal combustion engines, ethanol, clean diesel and refinements to gasoline based powertrains and advanced transmissions. Some of the technologies represent near term solutions. Others, such as hydrogen, must be viewed as longer term options.

Hydrogen Part of a Broader Effort
Ford first began working on hydrogen technology in the early 1990s. Ford’s first hydrogen internal combustion engine demonstration vehicle, released in 2001, was based on a lightweight aluminum sedan body, which also was used in the development of the company’s first drivable hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

The company currently has a fleet of 30 hydrogen powered Focus fuel cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city program to conduct real world testing of fuel cell technology. The fleet has accumulated more than 650,000 miles since its inception. With this fleet on the ground, information is being generated in different local environmental conditions that can be integrated into future fuel cell vehicle propulsion systems.

As a hydrogen infrastructure is developed and implemented for the fleet at each of its locations, lessons learned are being generated to insure that the customer and hydrogen fueling interface is seamless and customer friendly.

Ford and BP Alliance
Ford and BP share a firm belief that “Energy and Car” working together, rather than independently, can develop better products to satisfy our customers’ want for responsible, personal mobility. By leveraging each others resources, both Ford and BP can deliver products to market that achieve this objective faster, and additionally, can be optimized to perform better together.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Xavier Navarro

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hydrogen, Vegetable Oil, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

Mythbusters, a popular TV show on the Discovery Channel, tried to bust the myth that there are devices out there that can dramatically improve your fuel economy. I think Mythbusters made a lot of mistakes in the episode with claims about hydrogen, used vegetable oil and EPA testing. I also think they did bad experiments and should have done more research.

Lets start with hydrogen: As you can see in the above video, after making a car turn over by hosing hydrogen into the carburetor, Adam proclaims “I guess you could, if you had a lot of hydrogen, run your engine completely without any other modification.” The experiment they did is interesting but there is no reason to make the claim that a car can run unmodified on hydrogen. Who would consider the installation of a hydrogen fuel tank on a car un-modified anyway? They could have mentioned hydrogen combustion engines and fact that there is serious research on using hydrogen in gas cars.

Now, about the used vegetable oil. Adam got used vegetable oil from a restaurant, filtered it and ran a diesel car on it. They claim just 10 percent less fuel economy and Adam said “we did not make any modifications to this car. That means anybody who had a diesel car could just pure this stuff into the gas tank and it would run fine.” Again, like the hydrogen experiment, interesting but it’s not that simple. You can use vegetable oil in a diesel engine and it does work but there is a small industry of people that do conversions to diesel engines to make sure there are no long term damage to your car when running on VegOil. Why not mention them? Also, mileage really depends on the type of oil you use but I doubt a 10 percent reduction in fuel economy is accurate for everyone.

Go below the fold for more mistakes.

[Source: MythBusters]
EPA testing. Adam and Jamie said the EPA tested over 100 devices and at best they only showed 6 percent improvement in fuel economy. I did a quick web search, found an EPA page with testing data of devices that promise to improve fuel economy and the first one I looked at “ACDS Automotive Cylinder Deactivation System (2)” said it showed fuel economy improvements of up to 20 percent. Why was this device not mentioned on Mythbusters? I am not defending these devices - most of them are crap - but why didn’t the Mythbusters at least start with the ones that showed an improvement from the EPA testing?

Testing. If they did real tests instead of picking devices with crazy promises they would have found most don’t work but some do improve fuel efficiency by small amounts even if they don’t make sense economically or are not worth the hassle. The Mythbusters tested acetone added to gas, for example, and found no improvement but there are fuel additives that improve fuel economy because they are basically fuel, just not good ones. The myths you hear about these devices are not unfounded because the devices basically work and I really don’t think it would have been that hard for Adam and Jamie to find one that worked. Maybe they thought busting the myth on the economics of using these technologies or retrofitting older cars with modern technology would have been boring?

The Mythbusters claims also went too far. The myth included the claim that the automakers and oil companies worked together to keep these devices from the market. They really did not get into this but the auto makers and oil companies did work together to kill the street car, for example, many years ago. There are serious claims brought up in the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car?” that would make anyone wonder why GM took the EV1 off the market. I don’t think there is a conspiracy between oil and car companies because I don’t they they need to work together; they have common interests. The car companies have reasons to keep electric cars off the market, for example, other than helping the oil companies keep the price of gas up. The lucrative repair market for gas cars compared to electric cars is a good reason for the automakers not to make electric cars.

Besides their claims, their methods were also very questionable as well. Before making the claim that you can run your engine on hydrogen un-modified, the Mythbusters did not completely drain the engine of gasoline and got a false result with a hydrogen hydrolysis device. They did nothing to make sure this did not happen again or find a way to measure the amount of gas in the engine. After trying to hose hydrogen into the carburetor again, there is a small, accidental explosion. Someone is going to get seriously hurt on this show because they do not consider safety much. The point of the show almost seems to be, “Hey, let’s do unsafe stuff.”

I understand the show is just entertainment and not scientific research but there is an aura of science and they need to stop making grandiose claims and do some research. I give them credit for considering the myth but they got the myth of the fuel efficiency devices so wrong … which only confirms the myth they Mythbusters were paid off by the oil companies. Just kidding I think their most major mistake is taht they did experiments and presented information that supported their ideas before they started the experiments. That’s not science. In fact, that’s the opposite of science.

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton