Greg, great link, nice review. Here is the article from that link:
Fuel Cell Ride
TCC takes the latest alt-vehicle
technology for a spin.
by Paul A. Eisenstein
By the middle of the 21st century, we're all likely to be driving some
sort of zero-emission vehicle. The question is, what will serve as
the source of that "green" energy? Picking a winner is a bet even
the bookies in Las Vegas would be reluctant to take.
For a while it seemed like
battery cars would solve the
smog problem. But without
some technological
breakthroughs, like longer
range batteries, they seem to
fall short of meeting customer
needs and expectations.
These days, fuel cells
are surging ahead in this
environmental
horserace. Think of them
as "refillable batteries,"
which means they can
overcome the range
problem of conventional
electric vehicles. There are plenty of other problems yet to
overcome, but several manufacturers are cautiously laying
plans to put the first fuel-cell-powered cars into production,
perhaps as early as 2004.
That's why The Car Connection jumped at the chance to
test-drive two early fuel-cell-powered prototypes. The pair
included the DaimlerChrysler NECAR 4, essentially a
Mercedes-Benz A-Class minicar retrofitted with fuel cells and
an electric motor instead of its normal four-cylinder gasoline
engine. The NECAR/A-Class is a unique vehicle, not just
because of its steep wedge shape, but because the
passenger compartment literally sits on top of the powertrain.
It's a made for fuel cell package.
The second vehicle was Ford's prototype "supercar," the
P2000. Though barely the size of the compact Contour
sedan, the P2000's well-thought-out design yields an interior
package closer in size to today's Taurus. The body and
suspension pieces are aluminum, with other lightweight
materials used wherever possible — such as the
polycarbonate windows. So at roughly 3,080 pounds, P2000
weighs in about 20 percent lighter than the NECAR.
Stacking technology
Visual and structural
differences aside, the
two cars use the same
basic fuel cell system, a
50-kilowatt-hour (roughly
70-horsepower) "stack"
made by Ballard Power
Systems. Ballard is the
Vancouver-based fuel
cell company both
DaimlerChrysler and
Ford have partnered
with. The stack powers an AC electric motor operating at a
fixed gear ratio.
Switch both cars on and they sound pretty much the same, a
soft rush that climbs into a loud whine as you stomp on the
gas pedal. And gas pedal is very definitely the correct term
here, for NECAR 4 runs on liquid hydrogen, the P2000 on
compressed hydrogen. Among the mix of tire and wind
noise, the loudest sound is that of the gas compressor
pumping a high-pressure mix into the fuel cell stack. These
early concept vehicles have no sound insulation, so noise
levels should come down quite a bit with later prototypes.
Considering that so
many of the powertrain
pieces are identical
products of the
Ballard-Ford-DaimlerChrysler
joint venture, you might
expect an essentially
identical ride. What's
most remarkable — and
ultimately quite
promising — is the very
distinct difference in
performance between the German and American cars. The
NECAR 4 is, well, back in the early 1980s, we called cars like
this "stone ponies." It can build up speed, but it takes some
time off the line. P2000 won't spin its tires, but 0-30 times are
an acceptable 5.0 seconds, 0-60 closer to 12. Lined up, the
Ford definitely takes charge, a fine cloud of water vapor,
rather than smoke, puffing out of its tailpipe.
What to credit for the P2000's performance? This car is the
result of Ford's ongoing involvement in the Partnership for a
New Generation of Vehicles, an industry/government
consortium often known as the "supercar program." PNGV's
goal is a 70-mpg family sedan that's safer, cleaner but no
more expensive than today's midsize models. Weight is one
of the most important factors in meeting those goals, and
P2000 makes good use of the fact it's 700 pounds lighter
than NECAR 4. Meanwhile, Ford engineers consciously
tweaked the programming of P2000's computer controller in
order to maximize acceleration.
Finessing electric technology
Electric powertrains can be finely tuned. And, indeed, there
are more than a few reasons why they could ultimately be
very appealing to consumers — if other problems are solved.
Internal-combustion engines need to rev up before reaching
maximum torque. Not so an electric. Its torque "curve" is
almost vertical, reaching peak as soon as the power's
applied. So a 75-hp electric motor delivers as much, if not
more, seat-of-the-pants acceleration than a 100-hp gasoline
engine.
The 50 kwh generated by the current NECAR 4/P2000 fuel
cell stack is by no means optimized. It would not be overly
optimistic to imagine tripling that output within a decade. A
car with a 150-kwh stack could be set up to deliver the
performance of a turbocharged V-6, perhaps a small V-8.
But all that's off in the future. Fuel cells are anything but a
sure bet to beat out the long-lived internal-combustion
engine. Still a long shot, yes, but based on the potential
shown by NECAR 4 and P2000, the technology should be
anything but ruled out.
(4/26/99)
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