TOPIC 'Hydrogen & Hydrogen Cars' on Nov 04, 2008 (CET)
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles Are Starting to Rev Up
It seems as though talk has been ongoing over hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for a while now. Some may wonder, isn’t it about time they are offered to the general public? Isn’t it about time they start arriving on the market so the general population can see them, drive them, and begin the process of change for the better?
Research and development can be a slow process, and the process of getting the majority of consumers to change can be slower. However, through General Motors’ “Project Driveway” program, the Equinox Fuel Cell has hit the road and has been driven by approximately 3,200 people. Most of these trials have gone to residents in larger cities that already have refueling stations. Several families have also volunteered to lease them.
The way a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle works is that the fuel cell has hydrogen on one side and on the other side, it uses air to obtain oxygen. The hydrogen and oxygen are then both escorted through a “special membrane,” and that process produces electricity. The electricity, then, provides power to the vehicle through an electric motor. Using pure hydrogen in the process causes a by-product of water, therefore making the entire route of manufacturing electricity equate to zero emissions. Fuel cells also work well in motionless applications, such as providing electricity for home functions.
The will among many consumers is strong and they are hungry to make the switch from petroleum-powered vehicles to hydrogen fuel-cell-powered vehicles. The manufacturers, with government backing and support, just need to get the processes refined and the vehicles delivered to local automobile venues so consumers can purchase them. It would also be an added incentive if much-talked-about tax credits get passed so that even wary consumers can begin to take advantage of this technology and see for themselves how much better it will be, not only for their pocketbooks and wallets, but for the environment as well.
Sherry Irvin
on behalf of the
BascoTec Internet Limited
Technologie Park 13
33100 Paderborn
Germany
