Daimler, Ford, Nissan team up to create low-cost fuel cell cars

[nadepalma]

Daimler, Ford, Nissan team up to create low-cost fuel cell cars
By Andrew Ganz
Monday, Jan 28, 2013

Three of the world's largest automakers are partnering up to create affordable mass market fuel cell vehicles, a move that could advance the likelihood of success for the zero emissions technology.

Ford, Daimler and Nissan announced this morning that they are planning to work together to create zero emissions fuel cell powertrains. By collaborating, the three brands should be able to reduce the costs associated with developing a new technology. Nissan's global partner Renault has also been invited to join the new alliance between the American, European and Japanese brands.

CONTINUE AT LEFTLANENEWS.COM

[megeebee]

Great.

Now where are GM, Toyota, and Honda?

I wonder if these companies are further ahead than Ford/Nissan/Daimler ?

[ausrutherford]

Great.

Now where are GM, Toyota, and Honda?

I wonder if these companies are further ahead than Ford/Nissan/Daimler ?

Toyota and BMW teamed up, Honda is on its own, and GM? I guess with PSA?


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[dslay04]

GM & Toyota are pretty far ahead. So is Honda. I think they're working on getting the cost of the catalyst down.

The main reason Toyota did the partnership with BMW is because they want someone to co-develop a sports car just like with the BRZ/FR-S twins and get access to light weight materials technology

[1.21 giggawatts]

The question is, when will the Automakers push fuel companies to put up the infrastructure? Until then we're kinda s.o.l. however. Shell seems to be dabbling in it.

[BlackGTP]

Great.

Now where are GM, Toyota, and Honda?

I wonder if these companies are further ahead than Ford/Nissan/Daimler ?

I don't recall ever hearing much about hydrogen vehicle development from Ford/Nissan or Daimler. Though that doesn't mean much, could just be that they weren't advertising their work like GM was. And big emphasis on GM WAS as we don't hear much about their program anymore. I made this comment last week and someone had a good response about what GM has done - let me see if I can find the thread.

Found it: Toyota nears final deal to license fuel-cell technology to BMW, report says

[Stéphane Dumas]

It could be interesting to see how far it'll go? Could they decide after that, to let that joint-venture going deeper and further away beside fuell-cell like a car platform/chassis or a diesel family engine? (If GM and PSA don't divorce, Ford might check an eye elsewhere for a diesel joint-venture)

[dslay04]

I don't recall ever hearing much about hydrogen vehicle development from Ford/Nissan or Daimler. Though that doesn't mean much, could just be that they weren't advertising their work like GM was. And big emphasis on GM WAS as we don't hear much about their program anymore. I made this comment last week and someone had a good response about what GM has done - let me see if I can find the thread.

Found it: Toyota nears final deal to license fuel-cell technology to BMW, report says

Look for Mercedes Fuel Cell

[EJD1984]

I really wish GM was actively working on developing the Hy-Wire towards a production vehicle. Sadly it appears that the program never really got off of the ground.

Would make great successor to the Volt

[richmond2000]

I don't recall ever hearing much about hydrogen vehicle development from Ford/Nissan or Daimler. Though that doesn't mean much, could just be that they weren't advertising their work like GM was. And big emphasis on GM WAS as we don't hear much about their program anymore. I made this comment last week and someone had a good response about what GM has done - let me see if I can find the thread.

Found it: Toyota nears final deal to license fuel-cell technology to BMW, report says

Ford and Diamler worked with BALLARD of BURNABY Canada and bought out BALLARDS auto business, and living in Burnaby it was common to see a Ford Focus FCV and MB cars / CITARO transits along with converted New Flyer transits
the other makers did there DEV in other markets namely California / Germany / Japan
the Toyota/BMW one makes sense as BMW already has Hydrogen cars out the H7 and Toyota has worked H2 fuel cell tech with Panasonic for years
and Honda is leasing FCX clarity FCV cars in California
GM moved there Fuel cell research plant to Detroit this year I believe
BP and Shell both as far as I know are pushing H2 production/sales

The FCX Clarity is currently available for lease in the U.S., Japan and Europe. In the U.S., it is only available to customers who live in Southern California where "fast-fill" hydrogen stations are available. As of 2010, 20 FCX Clarity are leased for US$600 a month which includes collision coverage, maintenance, roadside assistance and hydrogen fuel. There are around 10 others on lease in Japan and another 10 in Europe. The number of fuel cell vehicles Honda can put on the road is significantly limited by the number of hydrogen stations the company can use. Two more stations will open in fall 2010 in Torrance, Calif., and in Newport Beach, Calif.[2][5][6][7] In 2010, it is reported that there are a total of 50 FCX Clarity available for lease in the U.S.[8] with a target to have 200 available world-wide. Honda believes it could start mass producing vehicles based on the FCX Clarity by 2018.

The town of Honeoye Falls, NY, got a jolt on October 5, when General Motors announced it would be closing down its fuel-cell research facility there. The 220 GM employees were given the opportunity to move to Pontiac, MI, where GM will be consolidating its fuel cell program to capitalize on "synergies" with the automaker's Global Powertrain Engineering headquarters.

in late 2007, Ballard pulled out of the hydrogen vehicle sector of its business to focus on fuel cells for forklifts and stationary electrical generation. The company sold its automotive fuel cell assets to Daimler AG and Ford Motor Company. Research Capital analyst Jon Hykawy concluded that Ballard saw the industry going nowhere and said: "In my view, the hydrogen car was never alive. The problem was never, "Could you build a fuel cell that would consume hydrogen, produce electricity, and fit in a car?" The problem was always, "Can you make hydrogen fuel at a price point that makes any sense to anybody?" And the answer to that to date has been "No.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Hydrogen_7

[spd98]

I really wish GM was actively working on developing the Hy-Wire towards a production vehicle. Sadly it appears that the program never really got off of the ground.

Would make great successor to the Volt

Except it's hideous!

[44 mpg by 2010]

Researchers demonstrate water splitting to generate hydrogen using ultra-small Si nanoparticles

18 January 2013

A team of researchers from the University at Buffalo (SUNY) have demonstrated that hydrogen generation from ultra-small silicon nanoparticles (10 nm diameter) proceeds much more rapidly than expected based upon extrapolation of rates obtained using larger particles. The ultra-small particles react with water to generate hydrogen 1,000 times faster than bulk silicon, 100 times faster than previously reported Si structures, and 6 times faster than competing metal formulations.

In a paper published in the ACS journal Nano Letters, they report that the hydrogen production rate using 10 nm Si is 150 times that obtained using 100 nm particles—significantly exceeding the expected effect of increased surface to volume ratio. These results imply that nanosilicon could provide a practical approach for on-demand hydrogen production without the addition of heat, light, or electrical energy, they suggested.

Silicon nanoparticles may be of practical use for on-demand hydrogen generation, based upon on their enhanced activity relative to other air-stable hydrogen-generating materials such as aluminum and zinc. Integration of nanosilicon with appropriate cartridge technologies could provide a “just add water” hydrogen-on-demand technology that would promote adoption of hydrogen fuel cells in portable power applications.

However, scalable and energy-efficient processes for nanoparticle production must be implemented to expand the potential use of silicon-based H2 generation beyond niche applications. Laser pyrolysis has been demonstrated at kg/h scales, and thus it may be one such process.

—Erogbogbo et al.

Let's see ... radically downsize the battery pack in any hybrid or plug-in vehicle, install the proper H2 fuel cell ...

and just add distilled water?

Isn't distilled water about $3/gallon(US)?

Just dreamin'.

[EJD1984]

Except it's hideous!

I was mainly referring to the technology within the sled-chassis.

[megeebee]

The question is, when will the Automakers push fuel companies to put up the infrastructure? Until then we're kinda s.o.l. however. Shell seems to be dabbling in it.

I think it's a chicken-and-egg thing. Once these cars start to sell (presumably), the fuel companies will do just that.

It's like plug-in Hybrids. I see charging stations cropping up around town. The Walgreens I visit now has one. Soon, apartment houses and condo complexes in or near cities will start installing them as incentives/amenities. The whole electrification of the automobile will bring about new support industries.

[johnstarnes]

I really wish GM was actively working on developing the Hy-Wire towards a production vehicle. Sadly it appears that the program never really got off of the ground.

Would make great successor to the Volt

Agreed, I LOVED the skateboard technology!!