GM announces introduction of Hydrogen Fuel cell car

[Syclone]

I'm not sure this link will work. This is and article from today's NY Times about GM releasing prototype production of a Chevy Hydrogen fuel cell car for next year - 100 to be distributed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/automobi...70&emc=eta1

[john1701a]

Mr. Lutz added. "I am now convinced that the technology works."
[/b]

Really? What about winter? The last I heard, was Honda held the cold temperature fuel-cell record: 20F

It routinely stays colder than that here for a week at a time. What the heck would I drive then?

Of course, it really doesn't matter. If Prius were upgraded to match, also using aluminum for its body and lithium-ion batteries for its pack, the improvement would really sour the appeal this article spins.

The energy loss from converting electricity to hydrogen still doesn't make any sense either. Why not avoid that process entirely and use electricity as-is by just adding a plug to a hybrid?

[Godiva]

Let me guess.

They'll lease 100 to movie stars and rich people.

And when the lease is up they'll collect them, crush them and say no one wanted them because they were too expensive, no fuel conveniently located, short range, bad cold performance, etc.

Then they'll sell more SUVs.

[darelldd]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 23 2006, 08:37 AM) [snapback]323880[/snapback]</div>

Let me guess.

They'll lease 100 to movie stars and rich people.

And when the lease is up they'll collect them, crush them and say no one wanted them because they were too expensive, no fuel conveniently located, short range, bad cold performance, etc.

Then they'll sell more SUVs.
[/b]

Your crystal ball is working perfectly! You just be doing your oil changes regularly.

That said, I'll be amazed if 100 of them get on the road at all. We've heard that they'll be on the road "next year" for about 15 years now. Remember those "fuel-cell-powered laptops" that were supposed to be on the market in a year or two? Well, that started about ten years ago as well. Last I heard, they're just a year away now...

[Jonnycat26]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 23 2006, 11:37 AM) [snapback]323880[/snapback]</div>

They'll lease 100 to movie stars and rich people.
[/b]

No... they're leasing 100 to 'normal people' who have a wide range of driving habits. They want to see how the cars handle a wide variety of, well, driving.

I'm glad to see *someone* moving forward with the future.

[darelldd]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jonnycat26 @ Sep 23 2006, 09:58 AM) [snapback]323913[/snapback]</div>

I'm glad to see *someone* moving forward with the future.
[/b]

Are you referring to the coporation that ten years ago built the "car of the future," and then took them all back after the vehicle proved itself?

You really feel that GM is "moving forward with the future" more than any other automaker? These are the same folks who publicly announced about five years ago that Americans don't want hybrids, and that GM won't "go there."

As for GM FCV's, here is how that article ends: "The issue is to get the technology out there in ever larger test fleets, with, hopefully, some real sales very early in the next decade.”

Looking for "some" real sales in the next decade! We could have 300-mile battery cars on the road TODAY at 1/10 the cost and 4x the efficiency of a FCV. Hello?

[Jonnycat26]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Sep 23 2006, 01:24 PM) [snapback]323932[/snapback]</div>

Looking for "some" real sales in the next decade! We could have 300-mile battery cars on the road TODAY at 1/10 the cost and 4x the efficiency of a FCV. Hello?
[/b]

And you should know, I hope, that a FCV > a true ECV. There's no battery replacement costs down the road. That's one of the things that continues to make people nervous about cars like the Prius.

[Tideland Prius]

You do realise that most FCs are hybrids with battery packs too right? I know the Ford Focus FCVs in my area are hybrids. So is the Honda FCX, the NECAR (A-Class) and the Toyota FCHV (Highlander). The non hybrid hydrogen cars are the BMW ones and a modified Ford Focus ICE.

[narf]

Anybody find this paragraph funny?

"How will the hydrogen fuel be produced? What sort of fuel is consumed in the process of producing hydrogen? How will the fuel be distributed? Mr. Burns suggests that one solution might be nuclear reactors, situated on high-security United States military bases and dedicated to making the electricity needed to produce hydrogen for transportation needs."


Really, Mr Burns suggests using nuclear reactors?....Excellent!

[Tideland Prius]

LOL. Excellent.. <twiddles fingers>