from mhv.net
ZEVO Unveils Fuel Cell Taxi, Shell UK Chief Says Company is into Hydrogen for Real
LONDON - With oil giant Royal Dutch Shell publicly signaling its support for clean energy and hydrogen, Europe's first hydrogen-powered fuel cell cab made its
public debut in front of London's historic Parliament building late last month.
As photographers swarmed around the black, traditionally styled, zero-emitting "Millenium Taxi", Nick Abson, chief executive of ZEVCO, the Anglo-British
company that developed the concept and built the fuel cell (H&FCL May 98), fielded questions at a press conference attended by representatives of Shell UK; the
investment house and financial backer N.M. Rothschild; battery-maker Hawker Batteries; London Taxi International; London's central borough, the City of
Westminster, and of Greenpeace.
"What we have developed is the world's first commercially viable alternative to diesel power which we believe will set the standard for a cleaner Europe," Abson
said. It's "a sea change in transportation technology," he added, according to a "Financial Times" account of the event.
Chris Fay, the chief executive of Shell UK, said the event "is not just about the launch of an exciting new vehicle which promises cheaper, more efficient and
environmentally friendly travel. It's about broader issues - the future of transport, the quality of the air we breathe, and ultimately, about the quality of life both here in
the capital and in all of our major towns and cities."
With new promising technological options being scrutinized, "hydrogen is a potentially important development in the search for 'sustainable development' and
'sustainable energy,'" Fay said. "That's why Shell has established a Hydrogen Economy team dedicated to investigate opportunities in hydrogen manufacturing and
new fuel cell technologies in collaboration with others.
Shell: "We Are in This For the Long Haul"
"We believe that hydrogen fuel cell powered cars are likely to make a major entrance into the vehicle market throughout Europe and the U.S. by 2005. In addition,
we see potentially enormous opportunities opening up in the domestic fleet, bus and taxi market as government encourages cleaner alternatives to conventionally
powered vehicles.
"This trend poses a real challenge to a company like Shell to develop new products, new technologies and to prepare and inform our customers for the changes that
lie ahead," Fay added. "This isn't going to happen overnight, but substantial planning and technological progress has already been made. I can assure you, we are in
this for the long haul."
Underscoring Shell's commitment, Fay introduced Keith Williams to the crowd. Williams led the design team that built the first British fuel cell car in the 1960s at
Shell's Research and Technology Center in Thornton.
The taxi, built by London Taxi International (LTI), described as the leading supplier of these cabs, is a hybrid vehicle. The 5 kW alkaline fuel cell - the same basic
type that has been used in the Shuttle and other space craft for 30 years - charges the car's batteries which in turn provide power to the electric motor. Later fuel
cell versions may be upgraded to 10 kW.
Hydrogen is stored at 3000 psi. No data were immediately available on volume and range of the vehicle, but the company's release said its fuel cell system "can
store significant amounts of hydrogen capable of delivering realistic distances and performance."
Refueling is said to take only about 10 minutes.
Lifetime Costs Lower than Standard Version
The current cost of ZEVCO's fuel cell is Pound Sterling 1,250/kW ($2,037), but the company hopes to bring that figure down to Pound Sterling 200 ($326) by
2001 and to Pound Sterling 40 ($65) in ten years. The company is also working on a cheaper, more effective catalyst using non-noble metals, which in tests gave a
400% increase in power density, expected to lead to a 75% reduction in production costs.
ZEVCO is still negotiating with several candidates to build a refueling station for a fleet of about 100 cabs in Westminster.
As a next step, ZEVCO plans to convert 5 additional cabs to fuel cell power for public road certification. Also in the works are plans to send the Millenium Taxi on
a tour of continental Europe, visiting cities in France, Germany, Belgium and Italy to promote the vehicle's environmental credentials and to demonstrate its reliability,
according to a ZEVCO release.
At present, the Millenium Taxi costs about Pound Sterling 2,500 ($4,100) more than the standard diesel- powered version, but ZEVCO claims the vehicle is
already economical. The "Financial Times" story says the vehicle's lifetime costs are estimated to be Pound Sterling 52,000 ($$85,000) compared to Pound Sterling
82,000 ($134,000) for the standard diesel version.
The company is also working with a major British bus manufacturer, Robert Wright and Company, in the development of a 12-meter fuel cell/battery hybrid, with a
40 kW fuel cell and a 70 kW battery set. It has also developed fuel cell systems for a small mail truck for the Italian Post Office, and an airport tug built in the
United States (H&FCL Dec 97).
ZEVCO also belongs to two consortia to build a light tram in Bristol and to convert Icelandic fishing boats to fuel cells. |
