Looking at the array of biodiesel hybrids, ethanol hydrogen hybrids and fuel cells on display in Central Park this morning, the impression we got was GM is looking to these technologies as the future. All we could think was how much they should be the present. You see, this wasn't a display of pie-in-the-sky concepts or prototypes, but actual vehicles capable of competently carrying humans and all of them designed and built by students on a limited budget. If a couple of pubescent geeks still waiting for their first pocket protectors can put a functioning biodiesel hybrid on a driveway, why isn't GM doing so right now?

We've heard all the arguments before: lack of infrastructure, high development costs, unproven technology, bad leadership; but here are vehicles which, as we speak, are being driven to Washington DC in climate-controlled comfort by their student creators

Yes, GM is developing the Volt, a car that's essentially electric on a platform allowing for production-swappable powertrain technology to eliminate the limited range. Basically, it allows for every powertrain under the sun including diesel, petrol, hydrogen and probably poop — but we don't want to wait until 2011 to drive it, we want it now damnit. Yes, even the poop-powered version. The company intends for Challenge X to highlight possibilities, and it does. However the unfortunate flip-side is it also highlights the lack of foresight in their past, a mistake they're only now trying to fix. After all, if a bunch of kids can build a fleet of alternate-fuel cars, why can't one of the world's biggest companies? And no, a limited-run fuel cell Equinox fleet does not count.

Anyone know why the General's doing a press conference in NYC right now with Virgin Atlantic's Richard Branson? We've got someone there who's got a few quick camera phone shots for us — but even he's unsure what it's all about. All we've been able to glean from searching with Google our sources is it's some sort of environmental initiative between the two companies. We've included that AP brief in all it's brevity below the jump. What we've determined, AP notwithstanding, is Branson's new fleet of 787's will get Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. Yes, those are the 75,000 lb thrust models. What does this have to do with GM? Well — something to do with fuel cells. We'll have more as it develops. UPDATE: It's all one big PR stunt — Virgin will use the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell Car as their VIP car at LAX. It's all about reducing our carbon footprint. Lame. We were totally hoping Branson was buying GM. As commenter graverobber put it, "Virgin Vauxhall any one?"

Virgin Atlantic Airways Richard Branson and General Motors (nyse: GM - news - people ) CEO Steve Ridgway announce environmental initiative.

[AP via Forbes]

Oh wait, it's just a toy. Even after the recent barrage of hydrogen fuel cell commercials from the biggies, you want to know who the real winner is? Corgi. Corgi is the manufacturer of the H2GO, a remote-control hydrogen fuel cell car. Maybe the big boy manufacturers should take a hint or two from Corgi—its product isn't too shabby, especially the refueling options.

Included with Corgi is a refueling station. Fill up the station with water and it will split H2O into H and O and fill up the RC car with the H. The station is completely solar-powered, as well. Oh, and see that button of the left side of the remote? Yeah, it's a turbo button. Let's see you do that, FCX Clarity. The H2GO is available for $250. [Corgi via Giz]

We have confirmation from Hyundai that they'll be premiering the Hyundai i-Blue fuel cell concept at the Chicago Auto Show. This is the North American debut as the company already showed this particular concept in Frankfurt last year. What's interesting is that the company has promised to have a production ready version by 2012, but we just assumed that was for the Korean domestic market. Does mean that the company is planning on bringing it here? Or was it just a matter of not wanting to waste a perfectly good concept car? Only time will tell.


[Source: Hyundai]

We've been talking an awful lot for the past few days about Honda's FCX Clarity. OK, fine — I've been talking a lot about it. Still, I filled up my car today to the tune of $3.56 a gallon — which is whack — and those numbers don't look like they are headed down any time soon. Oil is over $100 a barrel. The UN says that global warming is about to start torturing poor people. Game theorists are predicting that $7 a gas will lead to the end of society as we know it. That said, what are you putting your faith into? Is internal combustion still the way to go? Batteries? Alien tech? Bicycles? What? I've swallowed the Clarity Kool-Aid, just so you all know. Go Hindenburg.

The most remarkable thing about driving Honda's FCX Clarity prototype isn't how it emits nothing but water, its torquey, 13,500 rpm electric motor, the hydrogen equivalent of 68 miles per gallon or the perverse pleasure that goes with driving a multimillion-dollar automobile. It's the air-conditioned seats. Notice I said driving, because other than the whirring buzz of the motor, the Clarity goes, brakes and turns just like any other car. I had to keep reminding myself I was indeed behind the wheel of a hydrogen fuel-cell powered feat of engineering. Frankly, the Clarity feels like a slightly larger Accord. Again, Honda's latest FCX uses no gasoline whatsoever and behaves just like — no, make that exactly like — a regular car. And those AC seats? They have built-in fans to blow thermoelectrically cooled air, so no ozone-killing chlorofluorocarbons are needed to chill your fat butt. Pretty neat.

The technology behind the Clarity is basically a flashback to tenth-grade chemistry. Tank-stored gaseous hydrogen is pumped into the "stack," which consists of layer upon layer of fuel cells. Inside each cell, hydrogen gas reacts with a hydrogen electrode, causing a catalytic reaction that ionizes the hydrogen atom (electricity is of course nothing but flowing electrons). The electron-less atom (ion) next bonds with oxygen to create water, which recirculates through the stack to keep the electrolytic membranes damp, before exiting the vehicle through the tail pipe. In turn, the fuel cell stack powers an electric motor, which drives the front wheels. There is also an auxiliary lithium ion battery to store extra juice created by the stack, the motor (which behaves like a generator when decelerating) and additional energy gathered from the regenerative braking system. The battery is used during start-up or to assist the engine if the demands of the right foot exceed the power output of the stack. See? Piece of sugar-free cake.

As intense and complicated as all that sounds, you'd never suspect the FCX Clarity was anything but a run-of-the-mill Honda. While some have complained that it looks like a Hondaized Prius, the Clarity is so large as to mitigate that comparison. I maintain it looks like an elongated Accord with Infiniti G Coupe haunches, a chopped front end and a chrome new-gen Volkswagen beard. Sure, it's a little longer than the Hondas we're used to, but that's the price paid for having a fuel tank that can store enough hydrogen for a 270-mile journey while ensuring plenty of back seat legroom and a real trunk. The Clarity is also a bit wider than most Japanese mid-size family sedans because the stack is nestled between the front seats. Hey, you have plenty of elbow room.

The interior is extremely comfortable, nearly luxurious and made from all sorts of high-tech green materials, like corn. The instrument panel is similar to the current Civic but manages to crank up the Fisher-Price-meets-Buck-Rogers chic. For example, a small blue circle appears in the center of the digital dash when the Clarity is "idling." During acceleration the ball grows larger and turns green. Really stand on the go pedal and the ball morphs into a glowing-orange sun. The backseats are especially spacious. There's plenty of legroom, and the door panels are scooped out, giving the back compartment a circular feel.

Our drive started at the ritzy Fairmont Mira Mar Hotel on Ocean Drive in Santa Monica, where Autoblog Sam turned north onto Pacific Coast Highway and wound his way through Malibu and that city's recently charred canyons. I looped us back. While dealing with stop-and-go traffic in Malibu, we were surrounded on all sides by Hybrids. Every fifth car seemed to be a Prius. At one point we even found ourselves behind a Ford Escape Hybrid with a license plate that read, "NO HUMMR." I was reminded of Star Trek IV when Kirk and the boyz warp back to the year 1986 and Bones finds a woman hooked up to a kidney dialysis machine. He feeds her some pills made from super futuristic technology, unhooks her from the apparatus and declares the then contemporary state of medicine, "Barbaric." All around us people were driving vehicles that in their minds are atop the environmental food chain. Yet they're still emitting loads of dirty old carbon dioxide (and whatever else) into the atmosphere derived from a tank full of Middle Eastern crude. Meanwhile we're zooming past all of 'em, dripping only water while nestled comfortably behind the wheel of the future.

Malibu, California

Naysayers, Ron Paultards, the blindly patriotic and those not convinced that human activity is cooking our globe will all roll their eyes and dismiss the FCX Clarity as nothing but vaporware. A passing fad. A cynical gesture by Honda aimed at appeasing "environmental nazis," CAFE standards and nothing else. All that's fine, as people said similar things about Henry Ford's Model T. But even if you hate Al Gore and despise Ed Begley Jr., there's no way $100 for a barrel of oil (up from under $60 one year ago) makes you happy. Something has to give, and give in a big way.

Ford Model T

Coincidently, 2008 marks 100 years since Ford put America on wheels by rolling out the Model T. It's also the year Honda will begin leasing FCX Clarity models (and their home-based, natural gas powered hydrogen refueling stations) to select customers around Southern California and in Japan. Yes, the natural gas emits CO2, but only half as much as petroleum. More important, tank-to-wheel energy efficiency is more than double that of Honda's existing hybrids, and three times that of their small internal combustion cars like the Fit. And remember, if the hydrogen is created using green energy — solar, wind, geo-thermal, hydro or atomic — there are no greenhouse emissions whatsoever.

At this point you probably want to know how fast the FCX Clarity accelerates, its top speed and how many Gs it pulls around corners. Well, Honda didn't bother to say much about the Clarity's performance other than it's comparable to a "2.4-liter internal combustion vehicle of similar size." So, we have to guesstimate. As the 100 kW (136 hp) electric motor creates 189 ft-lb of torque from zero rpm, zero-to-60 times are most likely in the low seven-second range. Never forget that Americans buy horsepower and drive torque. Top speed is limited to 100 mph. Much more impressive is how effortlessly the Clarity cruises. At one point the speedo indicated 53 mph and I was convinced I'd accidentally switched the display to metric. A moment later we passed one of those police "your speed is" contraptions that indicated 53 good old American miles per hour. The ride, helped out by the long wheelbase, is outstanding. The Clarity weighs in at 3582 lbs. A four-cylinder Accord weighs 3,433 lbs. and the V6 model weighs 3600 lbs. Going around a corner, you'd be hard pressed to detect a difference between the three. But performance is hardly the point.

Honda FCX Engineers and their Baby

Every year I go to New York to watch the Packers play the Vikings. We watch the game at your typical sports bar with a dozen or so TVs hanging from the walls. One year a Giants or Jets game finished up early and the local station switched over to the Green Bay/Minnesota game we had until then been watching on Satellite. However, the local channel's feed was about ten seconds ahead of the satellite. "Turn it off! Turn it off!" one of the more colorful patrons began screaming, "Turn that fuckin' TV off!" We tried to reason with him, explaining that it doesn't matter if one feed is ten seconds in front of the other. "No way man," he shot back, "That's the future!"

Climbing out of the FCX Clarity and back into my own car, I couldn't help but feel the same. Sitting in the world's most heinous traffic surrounded by millions of my fellow Angelenos all burning countless zillion gallons of gasoline, how on earth is all this going to change? Where's the hydrogen infrastructure going to come from, if it comes at all? I don't know. Honda is going to stick a few refueling stations in and around Los Angeles along an already existing hydrogen pipeline (common in industrialized areas) but obviously that's not enough. Their home energy station is pretty damn useless if you live in an apartment. And the $600 per month lease is no friend to most of us. Honda (and Ford and Toyota and GM and every manufacturer investing in fuel cell technology) has a real chicken-and-egg situation on their hands. Fortunately the Honda FCX Clarity is one hell of a chicken.

You're going to want a Honda Home Energy Station IV if you're going to be tooling around town in your new Clarity fuel cell vehicle, lest you should have to fill up at a community hydrogen station like a commoner. This trick station hooks up to your home's natural gas supply and not only produces hydrogen for your FCV, but also heating and electricity for your home. The system provides a reduction in emissions and energy use by utilizing gas purification and power generation in one unit. Like all good things, this is still an experimental project. Press release below:

Honda Introduces Experimental Home Energy Station IV

11/14/2007 - TORRANCE, Calif., -

Honda today announced that it has begun using the Home Energy Station IV at its Honda R&D Americas, Inc. facility in Torrance, California. This fourth-generation experimental unit is designed to provide fuel for a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle, as well as heat and electricity for a home. The new system is more compact and efficient, with a lower operating cost than previous models. The announcement coincides with the world debut of the all-new FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Honda's Home Energy Station technology is designed to facilitate the broader adoption of zero-emissions fuel cell vehicles, like the FCX Clarity, by developing a home refueling solution that makes efficient use of a home's existing natural gas supply for production of hydrogen, while providing heat and electricity to an average-size home.

The Home Energy Station IV can reduce both cost and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for the consumer. Compared to the average U.S. consumer's home with grid-supplied electricity and a gasoline-powered car, a home using Home Energy Station IV to help produce heat and electricity and also to refuel an FCX Clarity can reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 30 percent and energy costs by an estimated 50 percent.

"Honda is striving to address the need for a refueling infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles," said Ben Knight, vice president of Honda R&D Americas. "The Home Energy Station represents one promising solution to this issue, while offering the added benefit of heating and powering the home more efficiently."

Working with technology partner, Plug Power, Inc., Honda began operation of a Home Energy Station in October, 2003. Home Energy Station IV represents the latest evolution of the technology with a 70 percent reduction in size compared to the first unit, making it even more suitable for household installation. By combining gas purification and power generation components, overall size reduction and efficiency gains are achieved, while enabling it to switch from hydrogen refining to power generation when needed.

There you have it folks, proof that if you lock engineers in a room with a bag of LSD, it's possible for amazing things to happen. Somehow the magicians at Suzuki managed to cram an entire fuel cell system into the skeletal frame of the Suzuki Crosscage. It is a bit on the awkward-looking side. But it's the tech rather than the looks that are the main feature here. This strikes a blow for alternative alternative power systems everywhere (ie. kitten dreams)

The Suzuki Crosscage, scheduled for an appearance at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show, may be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, or high pressure air, possibly fuzzy kitten dreams - who knows. Details are light, but it does have a monoshock up front though, and that's pretty radical. We'll be following up on this one since it's got super engineering potential written all over it.

Just over a year ago, we told you about General Motors' plan to put 100 fuel-cell vehicles on the road by the end of 2007. It appears GM still plans to meet that goal, as they recently reiterated the claim at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Under the name "Project Driveway," Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicles were to be delivered to those with eco cred and who live near a hydrogen refueling center in the US, Germany, Japan, China and South Korea. GM says most of the recipients were influencers like government officials, celebrities and the military. Apparently GM will also give some of the vehicles to the public, with recipients picked from a pool of online applicants. Details on where or how to sign up, however, don't appear to exist. With the 100 vehicles, GM claims it'll have the largest fuel-cell fleet on the road, but there's no need to worry about another EV1 incident — these things only have a shelf life of 50,000 miles. We're offering a hearty pat on the back to the reader who guesses which American celeb will show up with one first. [BBC]

Toyota's announced today they've one-upped Chevy's little Sequel with their own FCHV (Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle). If you remember, the Chevy Sequel took a 300-mile one-way drive across the state of New York to become the first fuel cell vehicle to go more than 300 miles in one fill-up. Toyota's FCHV team decided they could beat that and they have — the team just finished a 348-mile one-way drive from from Osaka to Tokyo on a single fill-up of hydrogen. The road test — part of ToMoCo's FCHV public-road test program — started in central Osaka City and finished up at the Mega Web auto-themed amusement park in Tokyo's waterfront area, covering approximately 348 miles. But not only was the fuel cell hybrid minivan-UV able to make it the full distance, it was even able to do it with the air conditioner on — the entire way. Beat that — umm — every vehicle on the market. Full press release after the jump.

TOYOTA FCHV Makes Osaka-Tokyo Trip Without Refueling —Initial Hydrogen Fill-up Enough for 560-kilometer Journey— Tokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced that an improved version of its TOYOTA FCHV fuel cell hybrid vehicle successfully completed a long-distance road test today by traveling from Osaka to Tokyo on a single fueling of hydrogen.

Today's road test—part of the TOYOTA FCHV's public-road test program—started in front of the Osaka Prefectural Government Office in central Osaka City and, via the Meishin Expressway, Tomei Expressway and Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway, concluded at the Mega Web automobile-themed amusement facility in Tokyo's waterfront area, covering approximately 560 kilometers. The entire trip was completed with the air conditioner on and with no need to stop for refueling.

The TOYOTA FCHV used in the trip is 25% more fuel efficient than earlier versions, due to improvements in the TMC-developed, high-performance Toyota FC Stack fuel cell and to improvements in the control system for managing fuel cell output and battery charging/discharging. It also features TMC-developed 70Mpa high-pressure hydrogen tanks capable of storing approximately twice the amount of hydrogen as the TOYOTA FCHV's previous 35Mpa high-pressure hydrogen tanks. These improvements make it possible to achieve a single-fueling cruising distance of approximately 750km (in the 10-15 Japanese test cycle, as calculated by TMC).

In addition to issues related to cost and hydrogen storage methods, as well as other technical matters, the supply infrastructure and other issues of broad societal importance also need to be considered. TMC is actively working toward making fuel cell vehicles widespread by cooperating with the Japanese government, energy companies and other concerned entities. Against this backdrop, TMC is making steady progress in research and development related to, among others, cruising distance, low-temperature starts, durability and reduced costs.

Our friends from down under at Motor Authority have the scoop on what looks to be a concept car Hyundai's planning on officially revealing at the Frankfurt Auto Show in a couple of weeks. It's called the i-Blue and it's apparently a hydrogen powered concept crossover that's supposedly also using Hyundai's new third-gen fuel cell tech. Huh...we didn't even know about the first two. [via MotorAuthority]

Ford's surpassed the double-century mark, and joined the Bonneville 200-mph club, in its Hydrogen 999 fuel-cell-powered Ford Fusion. It's an industry first, considering other automakers' hydrogen fuel-cell projects have eschewed speed accrual for the message of environmental correctness. Why not do both, Ford says with the 999 project, which we're just fine with us old salts. The car was worked up with The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research, Ballard Power Systems and Roush Racing, and was piloted by Bonneville vet Rick Byrnes, who's also a retired powertrain engineer with the blue oval bunch.

Press Release:

DEARBORN, Aug. 15, 2007 — The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 raced to a record 207.297 miles per hour Wednesday at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, which makes the world's first and only production vehicle-based fuel cell race car the fastest as well.

After more than one year of design and development and 10 years of hydrogen vehicle research, Ford's fuel cell vehicle team battled technical difficulties and a harsh desert environment en route to joining the 200 MPH Club of Bonneville Speed Week, an annual event that attracts hundreds of racing teams.

"What we've accomplished is nothing short of an industry first," said Matt Zuehlk, lead engineer on the project. "No other automaker in the world has come close."

Zuehlk added that Ford's historic run at Bonneville is to further expand its technological horizons with fuel cell-powered vehicles, because it is a fuel that could someday play a key role in meeting the energy needs of the transportation sector. The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 is Ford's latest environmental innovation and is another step on the road toward commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The project is a partnership between Ford, The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research, Ballard Power Systems and Roush Racing. Rick Byrnes, a veteran Bonneville racer and retired Ford Powertrain component design engineer, piloted the Hydrogen 999 at Bonneville.

A group developing Water Fuel Cell technology claims to be close to completing a fully functioning prototype. Of all the conspiracy theories on the Internet, the one surrounding Stanley Meyer's inventions and death is one of the most well known. Having purportedly developed a Water Fuel Cell - a perpetual motion device capable of extracting power from water by separating the hydrogen and oxygen, then combusting the two, thus reforming water - his work was largely ignored right up to his supposed murder in 1997. Last month, the two patents for this technology moved into the public domain and the Water Fuel Cell Open Source Project was set up to investigate and develop them. A video of Meyer's Water Fuel Cell car follows the jump.

Photo credit: Victor Geere

According the the vast majority of scientists and the laws of physics, perpetual motion and the WFC are not possible. Should those involved be able to avoid assassination attempts and the Project prove successful, those laws would be rewritten and the world's energy landscape be forever changed.

[The Water Fuel Cell Open Source Project]
Stanley Meyers and the Water Fuel Cell [Wikipedia]

We'd be remiss if we forgot to mention that the fuel cell powered Chevy Sequel is making a trip across the state of New York right now to become the first vehicle to travel 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. True, a similar feat can be accomplished with an Aveo and a full tank of gas — but yay for attempting to do it in a way that pushes energy independence. The General just needs to be careful not to get the fuel economy too high, or else they'll get Lisa Nowak someone trying to snag one to make some kind of attempt at a transcontinental trip once you guys are done with it in New York. – Ray Wert

Related:
A Whole Different Kind of Fuelie: GM's Sequel to Be a Chevrolet; Lisa Nowak Set to Challenge Rawlings and Collins [internal]

A group of Ohio State University students are hoping to break the 300 mile per hour mark at Speed Week this August - using hydrogen. The Buckeye Bullet 2 will make history as first hydrogen fuel cell land speed streamliner to hit the long black line. The Buckeye Bullet 1 was the first electric vehicle to break the 300 mph mark, and currently holds a record of 315 mph. The team plans on success using a 700 horsepower electric motor and lessons learned from the first time around. No word on whether or not this type of fuel cell vehicle will be allowed on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's hydrogen highway. – Mike Bumbeck

World's First Hydrogen Powered Streamliner [sema.org]

Related:
More Bonneville Land Speed Racing; Honda Hydrogen FCX Coming in 2008! [Internal]

We told you about Honda's impending FCX Concept by at the Los Angeles Auto Show and how they wanted to start selling it here by 2008. Well guess what? They weren't fooling. The new and improved Hindenburg hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will be hitting both our shores and Japan in 2008. Where do you get the hydrogen? That's the beauty part – anywhere. Ben Knight, Honda's vice president of research in the Americas says that hydrogen can, "be derived from a broad range of sources, including methane or natural gas, bio-mass and renewable sources like solar or wind." They're also toying with a home hydrogen energy generation station that runs off natural gas. Just plumb it into the same line as the Bar-B-Q. Which would be pretty cool. But forget the fact that the new CXF "Concept" has a 270-mile range and can hit 100 mph, the real story is what Steve Ellis, Honda's manager of fuel cell vehicle marketing said;

We're calling this the 'FCX Concept' but I can assure you it is not just some far out, pie-in-the-sky exercise in what may or may not come to fruition some day in the distant future. It will be positioned as the ultimate environmental badge of honor for our customers.

Sounds like maybe the number two super best automaker from the land of the rising sun's coming for the number one super best...and maybe the cache of their little Prius, too. – Ray Wert

Honda has new fuel cell vehicle [The Detroit News]

Related:
LA Auto Show Still Breaking: Honda Reinvents the Hindenburg; FCX Concept Becomes Reality in 2008 | Yeah, Barack Obama's Got A HEMI! [Internal]

Despite the addition of a hydrogen fuel cell in this new variant of the Chevy Volt concept car (now with E-Flex!) that provides up to "300 miles of petroleum- and emissions-free electric driving" — it still ain't going nowhere. The problem with version 2.0 is the same as the problem with version 1.0 — the batteries just don't have the capacity. So consequently the "300 mile range" in the new E-Flex system or the "640 mile range" from the original Volt are still nothing more than "conceptual." But what do we expect from a concept vehicle anyway — reality? Full press release after the jump and picture gallery from the press reveal in Shanghai below. – Ray Wert

E-Flex Hydrogen Fuel Cell Continues Move Toward Electric Drive

General Motors Unveils Second Propulsion System for Chevrolet Volt

SHANGHAI - GM's global commitment to developing transportation that reduces oil use and promotes energy diversity continued today at the Shanghai Auto Show with the unveiling of the next iteration of the E-Flex electric architecture, configured with GM's newest, most efficient hydrogen fuel cell system to date.

This second variant of the E-Flex system uses GM's new fifth-generation fuel cell propulsion technology and a lithium-ion battery to provide up to 300 miles (483 km) of petroleum- and emissions-free electric driving. The fuel cell E-Flex is a true Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) and operates all-electric from both hydrogen fuel cell-generated electricity and grid electricity. It is plug-in capable, adding up to 20 additional miles (34 km) each time it is charged, further reducing trips to the refueling station.

The E-Flex system is a flexible all-electric production vehicle architecture that can be configured to run on electricity from a number of sources. It was first shown in January at the North American International Auto Show in the Chevrolet Volt concept vehicle. The Volt is a battery electric vehicle with 40 miles of all electric-range and uses a small bio-fuel engine with a generator to extend its range to 640 miles (1030 km).

"The beauty of our E-Flex strategy is that it allows us to package various propulsion systems into the same space depending on what energy is available locally," said Larry Burns, GM's vice president of Research and Development and Strategic Planning. "It also provides flexibility in the sources of energy. We can obtain hydrogen or electricity from a myriad of renewable sources - wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric and biofuels - or from traditional sources such as natural gas, clean coal, nuclear or even gasoline.

"E-Flex provides flexibility in two ways: in the propulsion systems that can be used, and in the sources of energy that can be commercialized to compete with oil and meet global transportation growth in a sustainable way."

Independent studies indicate hydrogen fuel cell vehicles offer superior overall efficiency and fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to internal combustion engines running on gasoline, when considering both the creation of the energy and its use in the vehicle.

GM's fifth-generation fuel cell system is half the size of its predecessor, yet it provides the same power and performance. The fourth generation currently powers the Chevrolet Sequel concept vehicle. The Sequel stores 8 kg of hydrogen and delivers a range of 300 miles (483 km). The fuel cell Volt will also deliver 300 miles of range, but with only 4.0 kg of hydrogen (75 miles / kg).

GM's advancements are a strong indication that our fuel cell technology has the potential to be a competitive alternative to the internal combustion engine - in size, performance, durability and cost.

"Our progress has made us increasingly confident that our fuel cell propulsion system will be automotive-competitive," said Burns. "But before this technology can be made widely available, governments, energy suppliers and infrastructure companies around the world need to collaborate with GM and the auto industry to develop a market for fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel."

A variety of technological advancements and lightweight materials contribute to the efficiency of the Volt. With an estimated curb weight of 3,500 pounds (1,588 kg), it weighs 30 percent less than the Sequel. The fuel cell propulsion system is packaged entirely under the hood and is equivalent in size to a four-cylinder engine with automatic transmission. The Volt also features molded GE plastic panels on the fenders, window glazings, instrument panel and steering wheel, which offer between 30 percent and 50 percent weight reduction per part.

The E-Flex fuel cell variant also showcases GM's third-generation wheel hub motors, packaged inside the rear wheel to add considerable torque for all-wheel electric drive capability. The new coreless motor technology reduces mass and produces more power compared to the first generation shown in 2003.

###

General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

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Related:

If you're sans-car in Japan and want to get from A to B in green style, look no further than the X. Nissan has given one of their hydrogen fuel cell-powered X-Trails to Kanagawa Toshi Kotsu, a major chauffeured car operator. The X-Trial features a Nissan fuel cell stack/lithium ion battery combo that provides performance comparable with the gas model. This is all part of Nissan's plan to introduce consumers to the practical use of fuel cell vehicles, much like Ford and GM are introducing hybrid cabs to major markets. – Matt Hardigree

Nissan Delivers Fuel Cell Hire-Car [Fuel Cell Today]

Related:
Nissan X-Trial Hybrid Fuel Cell SUV Spotted in San Francisco [Internal]

One frequently overlooked tech story from the Detroit show — other than the Jeep waterfall — was Ford's HySeries fuel-cell hybrid system, which powered the company's Airstream van concept. Rather than calling on the cell to power the all-EV car's electric motor directly, like most hydrogen vehicles, this system uses it only to top off the lithium-ion batteries that provide juice. Ford's already ported the hybrid drive, which includes a plug-in function, to an Edge crossover, which showed up on the streets of DC ahead of the city's auto show this week. As these shots indicate, local pols likely got to see where went the Department of Energy grant, with which Ford developed it. – Mike Spinelli

Caught on the Road: Ford Edge HySeries Prototype [The Car Lounge]

Related:
We'll Drive This Tanker: Ford Airstream Concept [internal]

Given no time to make no apologies, mighty men of science have solved a problem in fuel-cell catalysts that made stop-and-go driving somewhat of a problem. While platinum is the most efficient medium for accelerating electrochemical reactions in a hydrogen power unit, it has the unfortunate tendency to dissolve during use. How'd they solve the problem? Boffins at U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory figured out that by adding gold clusters to the platinum, the disslution issue was resolved. Once we find a girlfriend, we're totally buying her a fuel cell for our anniversary. – Davey G. Johnson

Platinum may help fuel electric cars [Science Daily]

Related:
Huffing Hydrogen in TN: Fuel-Cell Cars the Norm by 2050? [Internal]

Carlos the Jackalope's minions have announced plans to have a hybrid fuel-cell vehicle on European roads in 2010. Designed primarily as a city car, the runabout will feature a pack of lithium-ion cells recharged via regenerative braking. Also, the Trafic and Master vans will go the way of GM's large vehicles and run on E85 for the 2007 model year. A flex-fuel Megane is also in the works, and by 2009, half of the vehicles the company sells will be E85 capable. – Davey G. Johnson

Renault unveils plans for 'green cars' [Andhra Cafe]

Related:
Wingo, Twingo, Sweet Poontingo: New Renault Concept [Internal]

Honda may in fact be just as highly precise as the boys from Stuttgart, but they don't brag about it. Instead, they flaunt their massive levels of high-efficiency. So highly efficient in fact, that North American Senior Veep John Mendel mentioned it four times. Which isn't very efficient. Luckily for the "energy diversity" crowd out there, the FCX Concept is. Featuring a fuel cell stack that is 20% smaller, 30% lighter yet 14kW more Bruce than the current Honda hydrogen stack. And no, we have no clue what a kW is either. Though total output is rated at 127hp. Most coolest is that the FCX has an auxiliary "high-efficiency" lithium ion battery, which when combined with the smaller, buffer stack equals maximum hydrogen hoonage potential.

Related:
Honda to Produce Next-Gen FCX Fuel Cell Vehicle [Internal]

The General answered BMW's media win last week with a hydrogen-car announcement of its own, yesterday. Chevrolet is launching a fleet of 100 Equinox fuel cell vehicles in 2007, creating what the company says is the world's largest hydrogen-powered fuel cell fleet. The SUVs will find homes with customers in California, the New York metro area and Washington, DC. It's all part of something GM calls "project driveway," which may or may not refer to the place such SUVs will be parked as their drivers search for somewhere to fuel up. Click through for press materials.

Press Release:

Chevrolet To Launch World's Largest Fuel Cell Vehicle Fleet

More Than 100 to Debut in 2007 in First Meaningful Market Test of Fuel Cell Vehicles

SAN DIEGO - General Motors committed to building the world's largest fuel cell vehicle fleet today by announcing its next-generation fuel cell vehicle - the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell.

GM will build more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles and will begin placing them with customers in the fall of 2007, as part of a comprehensive deployment plan dubbed "Project Driveway." Designed to gain comprehensive learnings on all aspects of the customer experience, Project Driveway constitutes the first meaningful market test of fuel cell vehicles anywhere. A variety of drivers - in differing driving environments - will operate these vehicles and refuel with hydrogen in three geographic areas: California, the New York metropolitan area and Washington D.C.

"General Motors is demonstrating its commitment to hydrogen fuel cells as the answer for taking the automobile out of the environmental debate and reducing our dependence on petroleum," said Larry Burns, GM vice president, research & development and strategic planning. "The Equinox Fuel Cell is powered by GM's most advanced fuel cell propulsion system to date, and demonstrates an important milestone on our pathway to automotive-competitive fuel cell propulsion technology development."

Enabled by GM's fourth-generation fuel cell propulsion system, the Equinox Fuel Cell is a fully-functional crossover vehicle, engineered for 50,000 miles of life. Importantly, the Equinox Fuel Cell is able to start and operate in sub-freezing temperatures during its 50,000-mile life. It is expected to meet all applicable 2007 U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and is equipped with a long list of standard safety features including driver and passenger frontal air bags and roof rail side-impact air bags; anti-lock braking system (ABS); StabiliTrak stability enhancement technology and OnStar, while providing all of the environmental benefits of hydrogen fuel cell technology.

"The Equinox Fuel Cell is a real-world vehicle with real-world performance," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. "The fuel cell technology is seamlessly integrated into a uniquely styled crossover vehicle that is distinctively Chevrolet. The Equinox Fuel Cell joins Chevrolet's family of advanced gas-saving and alternative fuel vehicles."

The Project Driveway market test will provide comprehensive insight into all aspects of the customer experience, including reaction to the exciting, smooth and quiet performance of a fuel cell vehicle, and refueling with clean hydrogen gas. "These learnings will directly influence future fuel cell vehicle generations and ultimate market acceptance," Peper said. "With Chevrolet being GM's global volume brand, it makes sense that Chevy will lead GM's fuel cell vehicle commercialization charge."

Related:
A Whole Different Kind of Fuelie: GM's Sequel to Be a Chevrolet [internal]

Chevrolet aficionados may remember the first fuelies as having nothing at all to do with fuel cells. Now, GM has decided to brand its Sequel hydrogen-electric SUV as a protocar of the people — a plebean Chevy rather than a relatively rarified Cadillac or Saab. The announcement comes at the head of a major media push that will include a press driving event in California today. We've got a previous engagement to attend to (hmm, Pert or Johnson's Baby Shampoo?), so we can't make it, but the boys who travel the road that's none so straight will be there to report back on who's wearing what.

GM: Sequel Will Be A Chevrolet [Winding Road]

Related:
Believe the Hype?: Its a Sequel [internal]

Just months after Honda announced it's putting a fuel-cell sedan into limited production by decade's end, the company will show off the next-generation of the system at this year's Los Angeles auto show, according to Edmunds Inside Line. The updated fuelie rig won't be getting a new concept car to wrap it in — it'll be installed in the same FCX sedan Honda showed off at the Tokyo show last fall. Still, it will likely be closer to the hydrogen system powering the production FCX, which will be available via short-term lease to fleet users. No word yet on which celebs will arrive at the 2010 Oscars in one.

IL Insider: Honda To Unveil Third-Generation Fuel Cell in LA [Edmunds]

Related:
Honda to Produce Next-Gen FCX Fuel Cell Vehicle [internal]

What will go-kart lovers do when the world goes hydrogen-car mad? According to one Dutch concern, they'll just trade in their two- or four-stroke engines for a fuel cell, hydrogen tank and electric motors. The company's built several incarnations of said karts and is promoting a new racing class, dubbed Formula Zero (for zero emissions), by way of a traveling race-circus of sorts. Got a county fair (albiet a European county) in need of some eco-racing action? They'll show up with a 600-meter racetrack, seating for 1,500, hospitality, pits, hydrogen generation and timing facilities for a full-on kart race. The only thing missing is the roar of internal-combustion engines and the smell of exhaust. But who needs those time-honored racing staples anyway. This may take some getting used to.

Formula Zero - Fuel Cell Go-Kart Series [Gizmag]

Related:
Suzuki-Powered Super Kart; Vintage Jet-Powered Go-Karts; More on Fuel Cell Vehicles [internal]

Yesterday, Slate's William Saletan had an interesting piece on lab-grown meat, and now Hondas all up ons with a new upholstery fabric. polypropylene terephthalate (PPT), is made from propanediol (1-3DPO) — a corn derivative — and terephthalic acid, which is petroleum-derived. Honda claims that the growing plants use the C02 produced during the manufacturing process. What's more, the fabric's set to debut in a new fuel-cell vehicle that'll drop in three years.

Honda unveils biofabric for use in green cars [Mobile Magazine]

Related:
Honda to Produce Next-Gen FCX Fuel Cell Vehicle [Internal]

"Scream for me Long Beach! Scream for me Long Beach! The Graf Zeppelin!" Okay, maybe those weren't Bruce Dickinson's exact words, and maybe there won't be any dirigibles in attendance (although the Goodyear Blimp flew over an hour or two ago, and Long Beach is the next town south of us here in Pedro), but the National Hydrogen Association opened its annual conference to the public today. Held at the Long Beach Convention Center, it features fuel-cell cars, manufacturers and energy producers, all coming up with ways to better use nature's lightest molecule. Explosive!

Hydrogen power has a gathering in Long Beach [Fuel Cell Works]

Related:
LAX Officials Employ DCX Fuel-Cell Cars, NBC Affiliate Confuses Diction [Internal]

Sure it looks like one of those overly stylized Huffy bikes of the early '80s (likely inspired by the Hal Needham movie "Megaforce") but the ENV fuel-cell motorcycle is real, and nearly ready for doing silent wheelies on the way to the local hydrogen filling station (would that there were one). What's even cooler is the bike's fuel cell is removable, and can be used to power home appliances, portable computers or any other electronic widget. When it goes on sale in around 18 months, it may also be the cheapest fuel cell vehicle available, at under $10,000 (est.).

Fuel cell motorcycle debuts at Tokyo trade show [BoingBoing]

Related:
Hydrogen-Fueled Motorcycle [internal]