Fuel cell technology is here

[txav8r]

Here it is, the first production fuel cell car. Apparently Toyota is offering this technology to all auto companies.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

A lot of people stand a good chance to make a super profit from this.

Im excited and hope the hydrogen filling stations take off and make this a reality.

 

[Big Shasta]

Aren't we currently using Natural Gas to generate hydrogen in large quantities? I wonder what the comparison is to just skipping the fuel cell in the middle and using NG in the vehicle? For example, It takes X amount of NG to make enough hydrogen to allow a fuel cell vehicle to go 100 miles. But the same amount of NG in the vehicle would allow a vehicle to go XXX miles? I just wish the natural gas infrastructure would be improved enough that I could convert my vehicle to a dual fuel vehicle. Or they would come out with a home NG compressor so I could refill at home from my house service. Supposedly there is a cost effective model coming out this year. If it does, I might convert my Tundra. Run on gasoline when not near home and flip a switch to switch to NG when I'm around my house commuting like normal. Of course you would also have to use the fuel in your tank regularly so it didn't go bad.

I like that we are trying to move technology forward but we have better fuels available now that are viable.

 

[PEARCE]

The idea of these alternative fueled vehicles is great. But without the infistructure of fueling stations they are useless. I think it's gonna take a fuel station chain such as QuickTrip, that's not directly tied to an oil company, will have to start putting in Hydrogen pumps in so people see that these types of vehicles are an option.

 

[Bruce]

Probably a decade ago there was a startup that wanted to sell ethanol production plants to install at private homes so that you could use sugar, yeast, water and electricity to power your car for less than the cost of buying at the pump and with locally sourced supplies a lower cost to the environment. I imagine that the federal issues with selling "stills" and the increase in oil availability have been insurmountable.

But with a hydrogen car you really can make your own fuel at home with water and electricity even solar or wind. I am uncertain what chemical reaction that Toyota is using but hopefully the byproduct is water. So if you use solar or wind to power electrolisis you have very little environmental impact driving your car.

 

[RightStuff]

I love seeing these changes in car tech, I can't wait for these to be more main stream. Also how cool would that be to have a car that didn't need gas, can drive itself, much less maintenance w/ electric motors, etc. And what a cool thought you have @Bruce about powering your car with stuff around the house, how cool.

But did they have to make it so darn ugly! Looks like they took a Corolla and put a bunch of ground effects and LED light packages on the back. Not a fan of the direction Toyota has gone with their sedan grill fronts on the Lexus lines and the Toyotas, no thanks.

 

[Zarrella]

@Big Shasta They just built a large state of the art Natural Gas Fueling Station that is open to the public in Valdosta Ga at I-75 exit 11.

 

[Big Shasta]

@Big Shasta They just built a large state of the art Natural Gas Fueling Station that is open to the public in Valdosta Ga at I-75 exit 11.

There are Zero stations in my town. I could do the conversion for about a 1000.00-1500.00 if there were stations near me. Right now, the price of NG priced as Gasoline Gallon Equivalent (GGE) is not too much cheaper than gasoline. But it was about half price when gas was over 3.00 a gallon. If it actually is true that a home compressor will be available in the 500.00 range and the price of gas goes back up (highly likely), It could be in my future.

 

[Bruce]

Natural gas was a common way of powering farming tractors in the Arkansas Delta. I believe that the availability of local natural gas wells was a big influence. I have a friend who drove a NG truck to high school.

When we lived in Europe from 1997 to 2003 it was pretty common over there as well. I remember one guy I worked with that had a keg looking LPG tank in the back of his VW Golf. It always bothered me to be going 100 MPH from Amsterdam to Rotterdam watching all the tulips pass by but worried about the big tank of compressed gas behind my seat! I believe that diesel beat out LPG for passenger vehicles in Europe but there is an effort to move away from diesel now.

Personally I believe that fuel cells are a better option than filling cars full of batteries.

 

[Big Shasta]

Natural gas was a common way of powering farming tractors in the Arkansas Delta. I believe that the availability of local natural gas wells was a big influence. I have a friend who drove a NG truck to high school.

When we lived in Europe from 1997 to 2003 it was pretty common over there as well. I remember one guy I worked with that had a keg looking LPG tank in the back of his VW Golf. It always bothered me to be going 100 MPH from Amsterdam to Rotterdam watching all the tulips pass by but worried about the big tank of compressed gas behind my seat! I believe that diesel beat out LPG for passenger vehicles in Europe but there is an effort to move away from diesel now.

Personally I believe that fuel cells are a better option than filling cars full of batteries.

It's funny how people think running around with a tank of NG is more dangerous than a tank of gasoline. In a crash that ruptures a tank, the gasoline is pooled around you and stays as a threat, NG is carried away. It's no more dangerous than gasoline vapor but disappears much quicker. I'm sure there are scenarios that could make each one worse than the other but it's not a ticking time bomb either.

I agree, electric cars aren't as green as people think. But until we can generate hydrogen in large amounts from green energy, they are only a better option. I just keep going back to NG as already in place and a good interim solution.

Check this out....the best of both: http://evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1756