Test Driving a Hydrogen-Powered Turbo Prius

[Tideland Prius]

The LA Auto Show isn't just about looking at alternative fuel vehicle—today it was about driving them too. West Coast Editor Ben Stewart spent a few minutes with Quantum Technologies and their turbocharged hydrogen powered Prius. Yes we did say turbocharged but no it won't dust your buddy's Camaro.

View Video Here

[FBear]

Pretty damn cool. Just two small problems 105 miles max with three 5000 psi tanks and a six figure conversion, whoa!

[Blegate]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FBear @ Dec 27 2006, 04:07 PM) [snapback]367344[/snapback]</div>

Pretty damn cool. Just two small problems 105 miles max with three 5000 psi tanks and a six figure conversion, whoa!
[/b]

Well I was excited at first then heard about the 105 miles and the turbo charger add-on. What about that guy in Michigan with the invention of storing Hydrogen in some solid mass...or something. Looks like fuel capacity is the big problem for these hydro autos.
b

[Tideland Prius]

Yeah.. that's is quite short, especially given how the Ford Focus hydrogen cars that we have running around my city (5 of them) have a 200+km range and Honda now claims closer to 300+kms on their FCV (the EV Plus one, not the sleek, streamline one that's at the auto show)

[V8Cobrakid]

So... I'm all for progress and all... But this is a little lame. Without losing room you drop to an equivilant of 7mpg.

Should they give up the rear seats and hatch to help it achieve the cruising range of a normal prius? Even so, it's loud and slower. With the ICE hp drop, i'm curious to what it does to the battery system if the electric motors may be working harder. I hope they ran an electric pump for the CVT.

[Tideland Prius]

That's why they said they added a turbocharger... however he also said that only boosted it to ~99hp (he said a 10% loss)

[Wiyosaya]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Dec 27 2006, 03:04 PM) [snapback]367302[/snapback]</div>

The LA Auto Show isn't just about looking at alternative fuel vehicle—today it was about driving them too. West Coast Editor Ben Stewart spent a few minutes with Quantum Technologies and their turbocharged hydrogen powered Prius. Yes we did say turbocharged but no it won't dust your buddy's Camaro.

View Video Here
[/b]

Too bad hydrogen technology is dirtier and more inefficient than gas. Unfortunately, I see this as public relations hype driven by the President's fantasy that Hydrogen is better than Gas. Someday, we'll see better technologies, but not while the country is focused on fantasy technology like this.

Charging batteries and/or ultra capacitors is a far more efficient use of electricity than electrolysis of water, i.e., using hydrogen to store electricity.