Daimler Chrysler gearing up for its next hydrogen car

Publication Date:02-May-2007 12:30 PM US Eastern Timezone Source:Michael Kanellos-CNet

Daimler Chrysler isn't giving up on hydrogen. Next year, the company will roll out its second test hydrogen car to test drivers, called the B class, according to Nick Cappa, manager of Advanced Technology Communication at the company. The car will be bigger than the current A class (see picture) and go about 250 miles before running out of fuel. The fuel cell stack, the thing that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electrons and water, will also ideally last about 5,000 hours, or about the same as a conventional gas engine, he said. Currently, the fuel cell stack destined for the B class lasts about 2,500 hours, he admitted. Additionally, it will convert about 50 to 60 percent of the fuel into actual work. The fuel cell in the A class is about 38 to 45 percent efficient while gas cars are only 14 percent efficient. (All that engine heat--that's gas being converted to a non-productive use.). The company will build hundreds of the vehicles too, in "near production" facilities that are more similar to the assembly line than used for the earlier A class. Only 60 or so of the A class machines were built. "By 2012 to 2015, we believe we will start seeing as many fuel cell vehicles as there are hybrids today," he said in an interview this week. "We have been working on fuel cell technology for twelve years." That's a more optimistic outlook than you will hear from other car companies. Others say that hydrogen vehicles will start rolling out in 2015. Still, if you count things like hydrogen powered fork lifts, already being bought by Wal-Mart, delivery vans and municipal fleet cars, the prediction starts to look a little less outlandish. Hydrogen cars are also somewhat fun to drive. I zipped around in one at UC Berkeley. It cranks up to freeway speeds rapidly; inadvertently I dusted a video van that was following us. It also holds four people and has room for suitcases. Naturally, significant hurdles will have to be crossed before consumers start snapping up hydrogen cars. Chemical manufacturers will have to come up with ways to make hydrogen in a cost-effective manner than doesn?t produce large amounts of carbon dioxide. Filling stations will also have to be created. Cappa, in fact, said that the company will determine where in Europe and North America to test to car by looking at where BP will erect hydrogen filling stations. (BP and Daimler are working together on hydrogen issues.). The test drivers, by the way, will be ordinary people, not professional drivers. The cost of cars will also have to decline. Daimler Chrysler has already invested a billion into hydrogen technology, he adds. But they do work. Around two million miles have been logged on fuel cell vehicles to date, which arguably has saved 100,000 gallons of gas. But consumers shouldn't be too worried about exploding. After all, they now drive around in a vehicle containing several gallons of a flammable liquid. *Picture-Credit: James Martin