Fuel Cell Cars

Would you like to drive a car powered only by hydrogen?

Well, you can with hydrogen fuel cell cars - at least the technology is already here!

These new vehicles use hydrogen to create electric power and only emit water vapor for exhaust (without the messy carbon emissions). They are seen as the next big advancement for moving away from dependence on fossil fuels.

You can’t actually GET one (just yet), but there are currently about 500 operating hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road. Most of these are in the state of California (more below) - the rest are in a few other states in the U.S. and in Europe.

But, what is the fuel cell vehicle and how does it work? Read further to understand some of the obstacles that are preventing this technology from becoming widely used. We also show you how individuals and companies are working fervently to get this technology into use by everyday people.

History of the Fuel Cell

Sir William Grove was the inventor of the first fuel cell in 1839. He knew that water could be split into hydrogen and oxygen by sending an electric current through it (a process known as electrolysis). He hypothesized that by reversing this procedure you could produce electricity and water.

He created a primitive fuel cell and called it a 'gas voltaic battery'. After experimenting with this new invention, Grove proved his hypothesis to be true. Fifty years later, scientists Ludwig Mond and Charles Langer coined the term 'fuel cell' while attempting to build a practical model to produce electricity.

Obstacles For Fuel Cells

Fuel Cell Cars may very well be the answer to many power and energy problems. But, before that happens, scientists and researchers are going to have to overcome some obstacles:

• Cost
  The biggest, and most obvious problem associated with fuel cells is the cost of making, distributing, and maintaining this technology to make it a viable, market-ready option. Materials in the fuel cell itself, like proton exchange membranes, precious metal catalysts (usually platinum), gas diffusion layers, and bipolar plates account for 70 percent of the cost of the setup.


• Infrastructure and Delivery
  In order to be a viable alternative for consumers, fuel cell vehicle owners/operators must have an economical, easy way to refuel. Getting the infrastructure set up to provide for refueling these vehicles and finding a way to generate the fuels to supply these stations is not an easy obstacle to overcome (both because of cost and setup).


• Storage
  Most vehicles can average about 300 miles before having to refuel. To have the same convenience with fuel cell cars, researchers need to overcome hydrogen storage considerations, cost issues, vehicle weight and volume, and of course safety.


• Hydration
  Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) require constant hydration to allow the transfer of hydrogen protons. Researches are going to have to find a way to develop fuel cell systems that will operate in sub-zero temperatures, low humidity environments and high operating temperatures. When temperatures reach 80 degrees Celsius, hydration is lost without a high-pressure hydration system.


• Durability
  The PEMFC membrane material must be able to operate at 100 Degrees Celsius as well as at sub-zero temperatures. This is primarily because of the different climates that vehicles will be driven/operated in (depending on where the drivers live, work, and travel).

Present-Day Programs

Certainly, more and more people are expressing concern about petroleum usage in vehicles and climatological issues. Many are also expressing interest in these newer technologies - With fuel cell technology at the top of that list of interests.

For some time now, the state of California has been pushing forward with initiatives and programs that are (somewhat radically to some) at the forefront of change in the area of alternative energy technologies.

(This is primarily because California has more drivers per capita than any other state or location in the U.S. - this makes it a good "testing ground")

Several good tests are currently being conducted in CA as a result of those initiatives.

General Motors Corp is planning to have 1,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles placed in California as test vehicles between 2012 to 2014. California's goal has been to put upwards of 7,500 cleaner cars on its roads by 2012, and GM is hoping to be a big player in this.

Currently, General Motors Corp. has 60 Chevy Equinox fuel cell cars in the Southern California area - and they only want to up that number. Having 7,500 fuel cell cars on the roads will provide sufficient statistics on the technology's durability.

California only has 25 refueling stations available now, but they are ambitious and want to show that this technology is a viable solution, and that it can work.

Honda is another company that has plans for fuel cell cars. Honda plans to start leasing out a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity, in the summer of 2008 to those living close to 3 refueling stations in the Los Angeles area.

The Future

Along with private industry and consumers, there is a much higher level of interest being shown from energy companies and governments toward investing in an infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The future certainly seems to be looking brighter and brighter for this technology!

We will most certainly notify you if (and WHEN) these vehicles are offered in other locations outside of California and if they become available for use in other locales.

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