Suzuki to Road Test Fuel Cell Vehicle Developed with GM
24 June 2008
Suzuki Motor Corp. has received permission from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for road testing of a fuel cell vehicle jointly developed with GM. Suzkui will display the SX4-FCV at the coming Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido.
Got to admit these FC fans are not going to quit without a big marketing push. Interesting to see how they'll fare against PHEVs in the long run.
Posted by: gr | 24 June 2008 at 09:58 AM
"Interesting to see how they'll fare against PHEVs in the long run"
hard to imagine FC cars will get the upper hand when PHEVs are already economically viable and FC is nowhere near. also there is no fuelling infrastructure for FC at all.
Posted by: eric | 24 June 2008 at 11:36 AM
Actually the H2 infastructure is growing quickly. there are stations all over the US and more are projected to be built. PHEV's are a good choise for the "right now" but 5, 10, even 15 years down the road FC cars will take the lead
Posted by: | 25 June 2008 at 10:51 AM
Hydrogen fueling stations would be the first energy wasteful installations to be banned by California if the same standards were applied as are applied to refrigerators and light bulbs in that State. Natural gas is best burnt in CNG vehicles and Electrcity, no matter the source, is best used in Plug-In=Hybrid vehicles. Electricty can be moved to any part of the whole state with less than a ten percent loss. If anyone thinks that fuel cells in large mass production at cheap prices will be available any time soon they should just imagine what a large demand of platinum, that is less available than gold, would do to its price when gasoline has had its price increase by a factor of nearly five since 2001. ZEBRA batteries are far more efficient than fuel cells in their use of electricity and require no rare metals so they can be made cheaply by machinery in mass production. New lead acid batteries from FireFly may be even cheaper but have less range if they ever really are sold. ZEBRA batteries have been used for over ten years in cars and buses, and the EV-1 could have had a range of 100 miles with them. California abandoned the ZEV on the then known false and now proven false premises that economical efficient fuel cell cars were soon going to be available and that cheap efficient hydrogen would also be available. Diesel engines are now more efficient than fuel cells and far cheaper. Combined cycle natural gas power plants are now more efficient than diesel engines, but it is, energy wise, more efficient to use CNG in CNG fueled cars and trucks if you don't have a plug in car. ...HG...
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 27 June 2008 at 01:52 PM