Fuel Cells: Pipedream or Promise?
edmunds.com
By Scott Memmer
Last updated: 2001-07-20
It's obvious that the internal combustion engine can only run so clean. It's been good to us for a long time and it's exhilarating to drive, but ultimately it's an antiquated design. The thing's more than a hundred years old, for crying out loud! What will eventually come to replace it?
Our intrepid technology editor recently attended two press events with a common theme: fuel cells. Are they the answer?
Well, yes and no.
The fuel cell is a device that has been around for decades. Only recently have researchers begun playing with the idea of installing them in automobiles. Although there are a number of roadblocks to full implementation, fuel cells hold the eventual promise not only of a viable replacement for the internal combustion engine (ICE), but an alternative that, with the right fuel, would produce zero tailpipe emissions. Allow us to repeat that: zero tailpipe emissions. Kiss that brown cloud above Los Angeles goodbye.
Fuel cells work on a relatively simple principle. Essentially, a fuel cell-powered vehicle is an electric car with it's own on-board generator. For you technoids who want a more in-depth look at fuel cells, we've written a article on the subject. Please go to Anodes and Cathodes and Electrodes, Oh My! for the full story. However, in this article, instead of exploring technology, let's take a look at the long-term market viability of such a vehicle. Could the fuel cell ever really replace the internal combustion engine?
First, a little background. You can blame — or credit — the state of California for all the recent activity surrounding fuel cells. The state's Air Resources Board (ARB) has taken a very hard line on forcing automakers to comply with its clean-air mandate, which requires manufacturers to bring to market by 2003 a small percentage of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Since General Motors proved the folly of a straight electric car with its aborted EV1 project, fuel cells stand as the next best hope. California is too big a market for automakers to ignore. If they want to do business in the Golden State, they have to bring a limited number of ZEVs to the party by 2003. For a more detailed account on the California situation, see California Holds the Line on Zero Emissions Vehicles. With the stage being set by California, automakers have begun to scramble for fuel cell bragging rights.
The California Fuel Cell Partnership
The first event our technology editor attended was put on by the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), a consortium of automakers, government agencies and energy suppliers. The event took place on a sunny day in mid-April near downtown Los Angeles.
The CaFCP, a Sacramento-based organization, has received nearly a billion dollars in funding from its participants, which are too numerous to mention here, but include all the major automakers, plus Shell, Texaco, Ballard Power Systems and many state and federal agencies. The group's credo is "to advance (the) awareness and marketability of fuel cells." The L.A. event was CaFCP's first and only "road show," to feature fuel cell technology and garner media attention. More important to us, though, the event featured a "ride and drive" period following the media dog-and-pony show. That's right — they had actual cars there for the driving. Finally, we got some seat time in a fuel cell vehicle.
Vehicles in attendance included Ford's Fuel Cell Focus, DaimlerChrysler's NECAR, a fuel cell version of Nissan's popular Xterra and Honda's VCX-V3.
We won't bore you with all the media hype. Suffice it to say there's a lot of money on the line — all down the line — and that the various speakers were touting fuel cells as the next evolution of the automobile. We remain hopeful, but less convinced.
There are three main concerns with fuel cell cars: cost, reliability and weight. In a nutshell, fuel cell vehicles are too expensive to build, have serious reliability issues (more on this below) and weigh too much. On this last point, consider that the fuel cell version of the Ford Focus weighs 700 pounds more than the regular gasoline-powered Focus —roughly a third more than the production version.
There are additional side issues to deal with, too. The primary obstacles include fueling infrastructure and safety. Since most fuel cell prototypes run on some form of hydrogen, how would we refuel them? And even if we had the refueling stations in place (which are very expensive to build), how safe would the refueling process be? Hydrogen, after all, is a highly flammable gas.
But enough of the technical challenges. Let's get to the cars.
At the CaFCP event, we had the chance to test two different vehicles — the Nissan Xterra and the Ford Focus. The Xterra, newly arrived from Japan, came complete with three engineers who looked like they'd been chained to the car since it rolled off the assembly line. We soon learned that this was Nissan's first completed fuel cell prototype. Our technology editor was thus not allowed to drive the Xterra, but merely to ride along. The ride in the Xterra was slow, cautious and uneventful, with the three Japanese engineers staring at their laptop screens and paying little attention to our tech editor.
Next it was the Ford Focus' turn. This time, our tech editor was in luck: Ford would allow us to drive the car. However, they first wanted to "warm it up" before turning it over. So, our editor took the passenger seat.
The first impression of riding in a fuel cell vehicle wasn't what we expected. Remember that this is an electric car. You'd think, then, that it would whirr along like something out of Woody Allen's Sleeper. Not so. In fact, because fuel cells have a susceptibility to overheating, there are numerous blowers and fans placed throughout the vehicle. It sounds like a giant four-wheeled electric leaf blower that you can't turn off. So much for a noiseless future.
The powertrain, though — when you can detect it over the noise of the fans — does hum along in relative silence. It sounds a little like a model train running around your Christmas tree, less the rail clatter.
While our technology editor rode along, a Ford PR official guided the fuel cell Focus gingerly toward an open parking lot. Then things got interesting. In the short span of about 15 minutes, the fuel cell Focus stalled at least five times. Each time it went down, the Ford official had to stop the car, wait a minute or two, then crank it over again. He was clearly very frustrated and embarrassed, and explained that the mishap probably had to do with "moisture in the fuel line." Finally, when the car began to run better, he turned the keys over to our tech editor.
The Focus stalled another three times before it began to run smoothly. In fact, our editor lost count of the total number of stalls, although he's pretty certain there were at least eight.
An interesting side note to this Ford Focus test drive. As our tech editor drove the car back to the starting point, he inadvertently took a speed bump a little too rapidly. Although the car took it in stride, the Ford PR official just about put his head through the roof. He had a pained expression on his face, as though I'd slapped his favorite child. It was clear to our editor that the Ford Focus fuel cell prototype is a delicate conveyance that requires pampering.
The CaFCP event ended with an intriguing demonstration of a potential fueling solution for fuel cell vehicles. Representatives from Stuart showed a prototype of a home fueling appliance called the PFA 2000. About the size of a washing machine, the PFA 2000 plugs into a regular wall socket. Simply fill it with water, attach the refill hose to your fuel tank, and turn it on. In about eight hours, the device generates enough hydrogen gas to refill your tank, giving a driving range of about 100 miles.
Of course, this prompts several questions.
How much electricity does the PFA 2000 use? About 10 dollars per refill, based upon current rates.
How realistic is 100 miles per refill for today's commuter? Not very, but remember that this technology is quite new and fueling ranges will most likely increase. This is one proposed fueling solution among many. Also being researched: liquid hydrogen fueling, as well as onboard methane- and gasoline-based reformers that break out hydrogen from those compounds.
What about California's power shortage? How realistic is it to assume that there will even be power to run such a device? Well, that's the big question, isn't it? While no one knows the answer for sure, most of this refueling would be done at night, when electricity consumption is lower.
Stuart plans to market the PFA 2000 in 2003. It will have a retail price of around $2,000.
General Motors' "HydroGen1" Fuel Cell Endurance Test
Then it was off to Arizona, for a GM-sponsored fuel cell event. Interestingly, this occurred a mere two weeks after the CaFCP road show. Had GM officials gotten wind of the Focus' problems in L.A., or was the timing merely a coincidence? Although we were never able to establish a connection, it struck us as odd how closely the GM event followed the CaFCP event. This, coupled with the short notice we received from GM (a mere two days before our scheduled departure), really had us wondering.
Unbeknownst to many, GM owns a huge chunk of land in the Sonoran Desert. Located outside Phoenix, Ariz., and known officially as the General Motors Desert Proving Ground (DPG), the facility is one of the premiere automotive testing sites in the nation, if not the world. It has grown from a tiny garage in Phoenix to its present size of nearly 5,000 acres.
GM's purported task in conducting its "24 Hours of the Fuel Cell" event was to set several fuel cell endurance records, among them:
Distance covered in a 24-hour period
Longest period of a continuously running fuel cell
Highest top speed
Longest demonstrated range on one tank of hydrogen
To this end, GM brought together a group of automotive journalists and engineers in the blazing desert sun. Temperatures hovered near 100, but GM had thought of everything, cooling us with huge fans and an encampment of tents and porta-potties. Add to this three square meals (catered, of course) and all the sunglasses and sunscreen an automotive journalist could want, and it felt more like Vegas than Phoenix.
Held under tight security (no cameras allowed), the event officially began at 10:30 p.m., Monday, April 30, when GM launched a fuel cell-equipped Opel Zafira compact van around the DPG's five-mile circular track. Then it was off to bed for the tired and weather-beaten journalists, while GM engineers drove the Zafira through the desert night.
The next day, journalists had a chance to get some seat time in the Zafira, as well as attend educational workshops put on by GM and Opel engineering staff members. Some of the highlights included "Fuel Reforming," in which GM laid out its philosophy of using gasoline as an on-board hydrogen source, because 1) it solves the infrastructure question, and 2) it makes the powertrain "transparent" to the customer; and a workshop called "GM's Position in California," which we'll detail at some length here.
It may not be widely known that GM filed a legal action in California Superior Court on February 23, 2001 to stop the Golden State's enforcement of its ZEV mandate. This would explain the company's notable absence at the CaFCP event. GM is the only automaker to file such an action, and the workshop, conducted by Chris Preuss, GM's Technology Communications Staff Director, took pains to outline the company's strategy and justify its legal course of action.
Although Preuss raised a number of interesting points in his talk, it may all come down to money. It's no secret that GM took a billion-dollar bath on the EV1, and the company — understandably so — now appears to be protecting its interests.
At the heart of the issue is the California Air Resources Board's ZEV mandate. In particular, Preuss made the following points in his talk:
The entire industry opposed the mandate. However, only GM has had the forthrightness to go public.
The mandate misses the mark and is politically motivated. The mandate does not address the market realities of electric vehicles and dismisses cost considerations. It takes a technology approach as opposed to setting an emissions target.
The ARB did not seriously consider alternatives. GM argues that, because of its experience with the EV1, it is uniquely qualified to comment on the viability of electric vehicles. The company contends that the ARB ignored other workable solutions.
Research money is scarce. GM further argues that the mandate siphons precious research funds away from feasible long-term solutions (such as fuel cells) in favor of short-term goals.
Whatever the outcome of GM's lawsuit, company officials state that it was imperative for the automaker to press the issue legally, if for no other reason than to make a public record of its position.
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As the desert sun sank slowly in the west, it became time for our technology editor to take his place behind the wheel of the Opel Zafira. Event officials had arranged the schedule so that each driver would get a half-hour driving time. However, as our tech editor's time neared, it became clear that something was amiss. The Zafira hadn't been seen in over an hour, and our editor noted that the driving times were getting "bumped back" on the schedule. Suddenly, he wasn't driving at 5:30, but 7:30. When pressed about the delays, GM officials remained vague.
Finally, after more than two hours, the Zafira appeared again, and our editor had a chance to drive it. It was an impressive run. Taking five laps around the circular track, averaging between 60 and 65 miles an hour, the fuel cell van performed flawlessly. Our tech editor felt the vehicle had much power in reserve and could easily have cruised at 80 or 90 mph. When asked again about the van's mysterious disappearance, GM officials once more declined to comment.
It wasn't until two weeks after the event that the official word came down: the fueling valve (on the refueling hose, not the vehicle) had malfunctioned.
Although we might quibble with GM's "24-hour endurance" claim, it was nonetheless an impressive display of the fuel cell's potential. According to GM's official press release following the test, the vehicle set 15 international records during the test, including covering 1,000 km in 11 hours 30 minutes.
Said lead researcher Udo Winter, "The vehicle held up tremendously well, especially considering the 100-degree heat. I think a pollution-free fuel cell-powered vehicle will be commercially viable within a decade."
It should be noted that GM is designing and building its own fuel cells in-house. This puts the company at a distinct competitive advantage, since most automakers are sourcing their fuel cells from Ballard and other suppliers. Should the technology take off, GM could profit handsomely by selling fuel cells to other carmakers.
Whether the fuel cell eventually replaces the internal combustion engine remains to be seen. But don't be surprised if it does — in your lifetime. |
