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 FUEL CELL ROAD TEST
1 Jan 2000
On a hot, sunny day you can see the end of the internal combustion
engine etched into the brownish sky above Vancouver, a coastal gem
hemmed in by the beautiful, imposing North Shore mountains that
trap, then funnel east to the Fraser Valley Canada's worst
summer-time smog.
With even less effort you can hear pollution-free fuel cell vehicles
that clearly stand the best chance to replace vehicles powered by
the internal combustion engine. It is the kind of high-pitched whine
you might get if you crossed a dentist's drill with a household
blender. And as I bury the throttle in Ford's P2000 fuel cell car,
the screaming explodes in my ears.
But it bothers me little because I'm too busy being impressed by the
P2000's performance. While it's rated at only 90 horsepower (67
kilowatts), the P2000 charges ahead with the gusto of a compact
sports sedan. Larry
Brandenburg, Ford Motor Co. project leader for fuel cell vehicle
development, says the racy edge was purely intentional for this $5
million US prototype.
The P2000 is one of two early fuel cell prototypes that Burnaby,
B.C.-based Ballard Power Systems and its partners, Ford and
DaimlerChrylser, have on hand for me to road test. The
five-passenger P2000 looks very much like a Ford Contour SVT sedan,
although Brandenburg is quick to point out that its as roomy inside
as the larger Ford Taurus. The lightweight aluminum and magnesium
body and chassis are completely unique also, as are the electric
drivetrain under the hood and the fuel cell engine and a tank of
compressed hydrogen in the trunk. For now, it is truly a
one-of-a-kind car-literally the only one in existance
Meanwhile, DaimlerChrysler has on hand the five-passenger NECAR 4,
which started its life as a Mercedes-Benz A-Class city car. Buried
in a six-inch (15.2 cm) space under the floor is its fuel cell
stack. Meanwhile, under the hood is an electric motor to drive the
front wheels and in the trunk is a container of liquid hydrogen.
It's power rating is 75 horsepower (55 kw).
Driven back-to-back, the cars show different personalities. The
NECAR 4 is more refined and less noisy than the P2000, which is not
surprising. This is the fourth generation fuel cell car for
DaimlerChrysler (NECAR 1 came in 1994), while the P2000 is Ford's
first crack at a roadworthy fuel cell vehicle. The Ford, with its
extensive use of lightweight materials, right down to polycarbonate
windows and plastic exhaust pipes, is a trim 1,397 kilograms (3,080
pounds), making it 20 per cent lighter than the NECAR. The
difference in heft shows up in slightly sharper steering and less
ponderous braking.
What both cars share is the same Ballard fuel cell system or
"stack" as its called. Through an electrochemical
reaction, the stack generates electricity to power an electric motor
which drives the wheels through a fixed gear ratio. No shifting, in
other words. Just loads of torque or twist to the wheels, which
accounts for the spirited acceleration. However, unlike a gasoline
car, there's no real feel to the throttle. It's quite dead,
actually.
Both cars turn on with the twist of a key, but the only indication
anything is really happening are the dashboard lights and the whine
of the compressor pumping a mix of hydrogen and oxygen into the fuel
cell stack. The compressor-something like a supercharger in a
gasoline car-gets louder the harder you push the throttle. Neither
car has much in the way of sound insulation, so there's a fair
racket of wind, road and screeching engine noise once you get going.
Brandenburg and Robert Veit of DaimlerChrysler's fuel cell project
say more attention to muffling sound will come in later
prototypes.
We're also promised more driver feel. In fact, by the time Ford and
DaimlerChrysler bring fuel cell cars to market (projected to be
2004), both promise a seriously entertaining driving experience. For
now both feel pretty numb from behind the wheel.
What needs little improving is off-the-line acceleration. The P2000
will go from 0-100 km/h in about 12 seconds, while the NECAR can do
it in about 14 seconds. That's in the range of many economy cars.
But unlike internal combustion engines, electric motors do not need
to "rev" up to reach effective torque numbers. Electric
motors have what's called a "vertical torque curve" which
means they deliver instant power. So, a 75-hp electric motor
"feels" like a 110-hp gas engine. This means that in the
commuter tango, the P2000 can zoom from 0-50 km/h in five seconds,
while the NECAR needs about 6.5 sec. Very respectable.
The Ballard people add that they can likely triple the output of the
fuel stack used in both cars. The result would be the get-up-and-go
of one of today's very nice V8 engines.
But for all of this to happen, Ballard must strip cost out of the
mass production of fuel cell systems. Today it would cost about
$40,000 to mass produce a fuel cell system, compared to about $4,000
to make a gas engine. Officials at Ballard, which is 15 per cent
owned by Ford and 20 per cent owned by DaimlerChrysler, say their
goal is to develop fuel cell vehicles that deliver pollution-free
performance equivalent to a gas-powered vehicle, with no convenience
penalty. That is they start, drive away and re-fuel just like any of
today's cars.
What's clear from the driver's seat of the P2000 and NECAR is that
these are serious vehicles, not a toy-like alternative fuel exercise
in public relations. If Ballard, DaimlerChrysler and Ford continue
to refine these vehicles at the current rate, they will completely
revolutionize the $1.5 trillion car industry, making obsolete the
world's 650 million vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.
They're that close and I'm betting they're going to get there,
perhaps sooner than any of the sceptics think.
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DAIMLERCHRYSLER NECAR 4
Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz A-class five-passenger subcompact.
Emissions: Zero.
Fuel: Liquid hydrogen.
Fuel cell: Ballard Mark 7.
Engine: dbb fuel cell engine rated at 55 kilowatts (75hp)
Drivetrain: Ecostar electric transaxle
Top speed: 145 km/h (90 mph).
Debut: March 1999 (Washington, D.C.) |
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FORD P2000
Vehicle: five-passenger sedan (similar to Ford Contour).
Emissions: Zero.
Fuel: Compressed hydrogen.
Fuel cell: Ballard Mark 7.
Engine: dbb fuel cell engine rated at 67 kilowatts (90hp)
Drivetrain: Ecostar electric transaxle
Top speed: 120 km/h (75 mph).
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SIDEBAR/NIBBLIES
Aside from fuel cells, automakers are working on a variety of alternative fuel cell vehicles that have been in the market for some time. Here's a look at some of them:
HYBRIDS: The latest are called hybrid vehicles that combine a small internal-combustion engine with batteries or fuel cells. This fall Honda will begin selling one tentatively called the VV, while next year Toyota will offer the Prius
(pree us). Both should deliver 80-plus miles per gallon and ultra-low emissions and be priced slightly higher than comparable gasoline cars.
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 ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
1 Jan 2000
General Motors sells has the EV1 while Ford has the Ranger pickup,
Toyota the RAV4 and DaimlerChrysler various versions of Chrysler
minivans. All use lead-acid or nickel-metal hydride batteries to
power the electric motor and are several times more expensive than
comparable gasoline vehicles.
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NATURAL GAS, PROPANE, METHANOL and ETHANOL:
1 Jan 2000
Honda has the Civic NGV, Ford has sold versions of its Taurus, Crown Victoria sedans and
F-150 pickup and E-350 vans. Chevrolet has offered the Lumina and Volvo has a version of its S70 sedan. A variety of after-market supplies also do conversions. Generally, prices run between 20-30 per cent higher than conventional cars and light trucks.
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WHAT'S DRIVING THE AUTOMAKERS TO GO "GREEN?"
1 Jan 2000
Regulatory threats are very real, including strict emissions standards in British Columbia and California and the recent Kyoto agreement on global warming. But there are also competitive pressures. In most parts of the world, gasoline is three to five times more expensive than it is in Canada. To be globally successful, automakers must develop alternative technologies that make driving affordable for millions of new customers who pay a considerable price for fuel. Any company which makes a real breakthrough, will have a competitive advantage. There is also concern that as China's new car market grows (currently it's about one-third the size of Canada), an explosion of millions of new vehicles will have a devastating impact on the environment.
What's the Kyoto agreement call for? Thirty-eight industrialized countries have agreed to cut emission of greenhouse gases to as much as seven per cent below 1990 levels. Developing nations are asked to cut emissions, but none are required to do so. Individual governments (including Canada) have yet to ratify the treaty.
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AUTOMAKERS RACE TO PUT FUEL CELL CARS IN HANDS OF CONSUMERS
Dec 3 1999
DaimlerChrysler AG plans to begin selling fuel cell-powered vehicles by 2004, but it may not be until 2010 that these environmentally friendly modes of transport match traditional cars in performance and cost, says Ferdinand
Panik, who heads up the company's fuel cell project.
Speaking at a Tokyo symposium, said that it's very possible that by 2020, 25 per cent of the global market for new cars will be powered by fuel cells. The environmental benefits are obvious:
fuel-cell vehicles are estimated to be up to 50 percent more efficient that
gas-powered cars and as much as 90 percent cleaner.
DaimlerChrysler is in partnership with Ballard Power Systems Inc. of Burnaby, B.C. and Ford Motor Co. in a joint effort to bring production fuel cell vehicles to market no later than 2004. DaimlerChrysler owns 20 percent of Ballard and Ford has a 15 percent stake.
Ballard chief executive Firoz Rasul says that fuel cell technology can become mainstream technology, but the cost of fuel cell engine must come down. Ballard does not provide exact figures, but analysts estimate the price tag for a current fuel cell engine at about $50,000.
Volume production will find further savings by reducing the amount of platinum and other costly materials in a fuel cell and by lowering the number of components. The goal is to produce a fuel cell engine at about $5,000 per unit. That would make it competitive with existing internal combustion engines. Ultimately, through the use of various lightweight materials, including Teflon, fuel cell engines could be less expensive to produce than current engines made of steel and aluminum.
A fuel cell engine works by employing an electrochemical process to convert hydrogen into electricity for power while at the same time producing virtually no polluting emissions-just water and heat. The process involves combining hydrogen atoms with oxygen atoms to produce electricity.
Analysts and company officials generally agree that methanol appears to be the most promising source of hydrogen to power the fuel cell, although hydrogen could also be extracted from other fuels such as natural gas or gasoline. Methanol is considered the
front-runner since existing gas stations could be used to dispense the fuel with minor adjustments.
Ballard also is a developer of fuel cells for generators and buses and those potentially emerging markets also offer promise for cost reductions through technology transfers and economies of scale.
While Ballard is recognized as the world leader in fuel cell technology today, there is plenty of competition out there in the race to be first to market with a fuel cell car. While Ballard's partners, DaimlerChrysler and Ford, are developing and testing fuel cell vehicles, so are General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and others.
Ford is testing the P2000 fuel cell vehicle, a five-passenger sedan based on a stretched Contour chassis, and DaimlerChrysler is working on the fourth generation New Electric Car or Necar 4, based on a
Mercedes-Benz A-Class compact sedan.
General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Co., long collaborators on a variety of projects, signed an
advanced-technology development agreement in October that included provisions to develop fuel cell vehicles.
Honda is known to be testing both a Ballard fuel cell and its own fuel cell stack. Honda has said it hopes to market a fuel cell vehicle based on its FCX?V1 prototype electric vehicle by 2003.
Meanwhile, the Japanese electrical machinery maker Toshiba Corp. has also said that by January it plans to have a prototype fuel cell system designed for sale to automakers. The Toshiba fuel cell system will use gasoline as a hydrogen source and is being developed in partnership with United Technologies Corp.
Toshiba is developing the fuel cells, while International Fuel Cell, a joint venture between Toshiba and United Technologies, is working on developing a reformer to extracts hydrogen from gasoline.
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 GM TO STOP PRODUCING EV1 ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Jan 21 2000
Citing slow demand, General Motors vice-chairman Harry Pearce has confirmed his company has stopped producing EV1 electric cars.
The EV1 was launched in California in 1996 but has not been well received. Pearce said has learned a tremendous amount about alternative fuel vehicles from EV1 some of that technology could end up in a hybrid
gas-electric car possibly co-developed with Toyota Motor Corp.
Customers have been reluctant to lease EV1s primarily because the vehicle seats only two people, has limited driving range, needs hours to
re-charge and comes at a hefty price.
."We're going to continue to in effect recycle those vehicles," Pearce said. "They literally last forever. Electric motors aren't like heat engines."
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RECREATION VEHICLES TRAVEL INTO NEXT MILLENNIUM
WITH HIGH-TECH FEATURES
Imagine a 25-foot (7.62 metre) recreation vehicle (RV) that expands to 40
feet (12.2 m.) by pushing a button.
Imagine RVs equipped with wind turbines and solar panels to generate
electricity. Or how about a rooftop deck or "penthouse patio"
featuring a wetbar, barbecue and built-in spa?
Welcome to the world of Rvs in the new millennium.
These high-tech features will be found in some of tomorrow's motorhomes,
travel trailers, folding camping trailers and truck campers, say to RV
product designers.
"Today's RVs are already loaded with high-tech features that make
travel more fun, comfortable and convenient, and there are more to
come," says David J. Humphreys, Recreation Vehicle Industry
Association (RVIA) president.
Today many RVs now come equipped with electronic navigational systems that
guide travelers to their next destination; satellite and Internet TV;
touchscreens to control the RV's environment; closed-circuit rear view
cameras; and moving walls or slideouts that increase space with the push
of a button.
As the RV industry enters the new millennium, consumers can expect to find
more technological innovations. Such as:
-- Slideout Patios completely surrounding RVs for added space and weather
protection. These patios would be screened-in rooms with sliding glass
doors attaching them to the RV, with the rear one doubling as a carport.
-- Futuristic shapes, fun colors and sloped windshields to add style and
versatility.
-- Eye-controlled outside mirrors that can be adjusted simply by looking
at them.
-- More tailgating features, like exterior panels that lift to reveal a TV
that's easily viewed from the outside -- great for watching the pre-game
show at a tailgating party. Panels at the rear could be lifted to allow
food to be served from the back, similar to a concession trailer.
-- Retractable sunroofs to enjoy good weather.
-- Spiral staircases leading to a rooftop deck.
-- Homing devices to help family members follow your travels right down to
where you are parked for the night.
-- Multi-purpose rooms designed for flexible use of space.
-- Beds stored under the main floor that can pop up at bedtime. And for
additional room, furniture could be "knocked down," with tables
and chairs collapsing to the walls of the RV.
-- Voice-controlled lighting.
-- Built-in kennels for dog-lovers.
-- Smart technology that provides self-diagnostic tests (checking oil,
etc.) on the vehicle.
-- Expansion of home theater systems that already include giant screen TVs
or TV monitors that fold away into the ceiling.
Internet users can learn more by going to http://www.rvia.org and http://www.GoRVing.com |
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NEW
ON-LINE TREASURE TROVE OF AUTO 'STUFF' PLANNED
Dec 23 1999
Starting in Spring 2000, MoreCars.net will offer an online
"garage", for housing informative, entertaining, useful and
engaging material on all things automotive, from your daily driver to
museum collections, to anyone that wants one.
Among other things, MoreCars will aggregate individual contributions of
members who maintain garages on the site. Members have the option of
submitting video, stills and data from their collections. There will also
be institutional content providers, such as manufacturers, museums,
collectors, auctioneers, and dealers. MoreCars will serve these groups by
making their content more accessible to a wider, more targeted audience.
And there will be huge troves of footage, both contemporary and historic,
to entertain and serve the automobile enthusiast.
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 NINTENDO 64 GOES DOWN ANOTHER VIRTUAL HIGHWAY
Dec 23 1999
Titus Software has released a racing game for the Nintendo 6(R) platform
called Roadsters(TM).
The game features theme-based races with 30 different two-seater
convertible sports coupes that include models from Fiat, Lotus, TVR,
Ginetta, Renault, Wiesman, Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Jaguar, and others.
Players can configure, modify, and upgrade each car to suit their
abilities and manage their car control preferences.
With Roadsters, players can choose from one of eight drivers. There are
also 10 themed tracks to unlock, each with graphics and effects to grab
the attention and challenge gamers. Up to four racers can participate.
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 COMPUTER-MAKER
MICHAEL DELL OFFERS ADVICE TO CARMAKERS
Dec 15 1999
Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Computer Corp, may not know much about
cars, but that doesn't mean he lacks advice for car companies.
The darling of Wall Street because of a build-to-order approach to the
personal computer business that generates a 160 per cent return on
invested capital, 15-year-old Dell Computer has enjoyed explosive growth
in the value of its stock in recent years.
Michael Dell's advice: use the efficiencies of Internet-based
communications to streamline links between automotive suppliers and
manufacturers at almost no cost if the system is managed right.
According to interviews in both Automotive News, the auto industry
publication of record, and the Wall Street Journal, information technology
creates speed and flexibility in relationships between suppliers and
manufacturers, while at the same time holding huge potential to cut
expensive inventory from the balance sheets of manufacturers and their
dealers.
Dell suggests that car companies need to accelerate the pace of change
both inside their corporate culture and with suppliers. Large car
companies have an advantage in their relationship with suppliers because
they order billions of dollars worth of parts each year.
The potential is there, says Dell, for car companies to produce
build-to-order cars in much the same way Dell Computer offers
build-to-order computers. Although when that may happen is not clear.
What's necessary, however, is for car companies to look at the whole
process of building and delivering a vehicle, from start to finish, rather
than dividing up the supply chain into more traditional manufacturing
steps.
Among specific advice Dell offers to carmakers on how to build a better
car: use the Internet for low-cost links between manufactures and
suppliers and manufacturers and dealers; let outside suppliers do
everything that isn't central to the car business as defined by the
company; push the pace of change and conditions employees to accept it;
try things on the Internet and don't worry if they don't work because on
the Net change is a constant; experiment with offering customers all kinds
of new information-see what they respond to; shed inventory and other
assets as much as possible and consider the possibilities for using that
investment in other ventures.
For more on Michael Dell's ideas about the car business, to The Wall
Street Journal Interactive Edition at http://wsj.com.
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 VIDEO GAMES REACH NEW LEVELS OF BAD TASTE
Dec 3 1999
In what can only be described as the height of bad taste, video game maker Activision Inc. has declared open season on the highways and byways.
Activision's latest rampage on the highways is called Interstate '82, a sequel to Interstate '76. Interstate '82 puts 3-D gamers behind the wheel of armed exotic sports cars so that they can unravel what the company calls "a
mind-bending conspiracy which brings together the Oval Office, Central American revolutionaries and
would-be presidential assassins."
Just in time for Christmas, this multi-player game pits players against each other in cars and on foot as they fight through such intense, complex environments as mines, sewer tunnels, a shopping mall and a unique depiction of Las Vegas.
For more information, visit http://www.activision.com.
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 BMW PREPARES TO OFFER INTERNET CONNECTION FROM YOUR CAR
Nov
19 1999
BMW has announced that it will offer U.S. customers a practical Internet connection from their automobiles, with Canada likely not far behind.
The system does not require a computer in the vehicle, but uses the existing telephone system with voice recognition software. It will enable the user to access the Internet in order to receive such useful information as traffic and weather reports, or to send and receive
e-mail. In addition, the user can create a personal profile in order to access information of particular interest, such as tracking key Wall Street stocks, the performance of favorite sports teams or current news.
The system will require that owners have a fully-integrated BMW phone, but that will allow for hands-free dial-up and connection.
BMW will begin piloting the technology next year in 750iL and the Z8 high-performance roadster. Later it will trickle down to other models in the BMW lineup.
For more information, visit BMW's USA web site at http://www.bmwusa.com/.
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