Fuel Cell Cars

If you're thinking about buying a new car over the next couple of years, then you may be introduced to an entirely new breed of vehicles:  fuel cell cars.  They're not exactly ready for sale today, but in the coming years you'll be hearing from several car manufacturers that have these vehicles on the drawing board right now.

Fuel Cell Technology

The engines used by fuel cell vehicles are a radical departure from the internal combustion engines installed in cars today.  Just like electric vehicles, these cars are powered by electric motors.  But unlike electric vehicles that depend on a sophisticated array of batteries to store energy, fuel cell cars have the ability to create their own electricity.

Using a chemical process, fuel cell vehicles are able to convert hydrogen fuel, and oxygen from the air, to produce electricity.  The fuel is stored as hydrogen gas in onboard tanks, or it can be extracted from hydrogen rich sources such as natural gas, methanol, or gasoline.

One of the benefits of fuel cell technology is the clean byproduct of the process used to create electricity.  Only water and heat are produced in a fuel cell.  Another benefit of this technology is the efficiency of the fuel cell itself.  Fuel cell cars can be twice as efficient in converting fuel to electrical energy as conventional combustion engines.

Components of a Fuel Cell Vehicle

As is the case with hybrid cars, a fuel cell vehicle, or FCV, requires a high-output battery to store energy, a power control unit to manage the flow of electricity, and an electric motor.  In addition, the fuel cell vehicle requires a hydrogen fuel tank and a fuel cell stack, which is used to convert the hydrogen gas to electricity.

Barriers to Fuel Cell Vehicles

Right now, car manufacturers are dealing with several significant, and practical, barriers to the widespread use of fuel cell cars. These barriers include reducing manufacturing costs, improving performance, and safely storing the hydrogen fuel.

Hydrogen Gas Storage

Hydrogen gas would need to be stored in high pressure tanks located on the vehicle.  Current technology allows for fuel tanks that can only store enough hydrogen gas to allow the vehicle to travel 200 miles before refueling.  Manufacturers are testing tanks that allow hydrogen to be pressurized in excess of the 500 p.s.i. limit of today's tanks.  This allows more fuel to be stored in the tank, thereby extending the cruising range of these cars.

Reformers

Fuels such as gasoline, methanol, or natural gas can also be used as the hydrogen source for fuel cell cars.  However, removing the hydrogen from these fuels requires what's called a reformer.  While reformers can extend the car's cruising range to 400 miles, they add to the complexity of the vehicle, and the reformers themselves require significant maintenance.

Fuel Distribution

There are also safety considerations as well as distribution requirements that need to be addressed with this new technology.  There already exists an extensive infrastructure to deliver gasoline to cars on the road today.  Storing hydrogen safely, and delivering it to consumers owning fuel cell cars, will take significant time, money, and public acceptance.

2011 Fuel Cell Cars

In 2011, there were only two car manufacturers offering fuel cell vehicles in limited numbers.  Those cars include the Honda FCX and the Mercedes Benz F-Cell.  Since each of these cars depends on hydrogen gas as the fuel source, availability is limited to those organizations with access to hydrogen refueling stations.  As of May 2011, cars were only available for testing / pilot programs.

The following table compares the cruising range, vehicle class, motor and availability for each of these vehicles:

2011 Fuel Cell Car Comparisons

On the one hand we have significant hurdles faced by manufacturers of this new breed of car before their widespread availability and acceptance.  On the other hand, we have the efficiency and environmental benefits these cars offer the marketplace.  Over the next few years, we should have a better idea of whether the benefits are enough to outweigh the costs.  If they do, we may all be driving a fuel cell car one day.

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