Fuel Cell Vehicles & Technology Review

Fuel Cell Vehicles
Even as auto manufacturers develop their array of hybrid, alternative fuel, and highly efficient gasoline vehicles, there's a growing belief that the most viable longer-term alternative fuel for mass production may be hydrogen, with its most logical application being the hydrogen fuel cell.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical powerplant fueled by hydrogen that creates electricity for driving a vehicle's electric drive motors. Its great advantage is that it's more than twice as efficient as an internal combustion engine in transforming energy into power and that it does this without combustion. Its sole emissions are heat and water vapor, with no greenhouse gases produced.

An array of fuel cell vehicles from the major automakers are now in field trials in the U.S. and Japan. Most of this activity is centered in Sacramento, California, through the California Fuel Cell Partnership, although fuel cell consortia in other states, as well as in Japan, are now promoting highway demonstrations of fuel cell vehicles, as well. These fuel cell vehicles are largely based on existing vehicle platforms like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Ford Focus, Dodge Caravan, Nissan Xterra, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Highlander, and GM's European market Opel Zafira. Honda's FCX is based on this automaker's previous EV Plus electric vehicle platform.