Chevrolet Project Driveway Nearing 500,000-Mile Mark
24 December 2008
Chevrolet’s Project Driveway program&mash;the largest endeavor yet to put fuel cell vehicles on real roads—now has more than 100 vehicles out on the road, and will have logged 500,000 miles of fuel cell driving by Christmas.
The Project Driveway program began in Oct 2007 and will run through the end of 2010. Project Driveway puts Equinox electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells into the hands of drivers to gain real world experience and learning. More than 3,400 individuals have driven the fuel cell Equinox, either in short drives at media programs or special events, or as part of longer loan.
Prior to Project Driveway, no one had put 100+ fuel cell vehicles on the road. The program is mainly in the US., although some vehicles were sent to Europe and Asia. In the US, the vehicles are being placed with media, public policy leaders, business partners, celebrities and “regular” customers who have raised their hands via the internet.
Drivers generally have the vehicles for two months, although some placements, such as those with business partners Disney and Virgin Atlantic, run for the entire program. Jay Leno has been driving a fuel cell Equinox since April.
The vehicles are production Chevrolet Equinoxes, outfitted with GM’s fourth-generation fuel cell propulsion system.
I there reason to believe there is any real future for the FCEV?
For delivery vans? Or big trucks ?
Can H2 ever be safely and economically generated in my garage?
Posted by: ToppaTom | 24 December 2008 at 06:21 AM
Tom:
Take a look at Blacklight Power and Randy Mill's hydrino theory:
http://tinyurl.com/68xgmr
And MIT's Dan Nocera's work on electrolysis:
http://tinyurl.com/6xfvu8
There is room for EVERY kind of renewable energy. By building a highly diverse portfolio of renewable energy resources we have a far better shot at achieving fully sustainable energy independence.
Note that the Blacklight deal with RCEC is pretty flimsy. But the excess thermal effect has been confirmed and like Nocera's work with catalysts - both are using atomic H as a resource.
Posted by: sulleny | 24 December 2008 at 07:07 AM
The first source (http://tinyurl.com/68xgmr) says ".. BlackLight says it lowers the energy level of hydrogen atoms below ground state .." Not buying that; they have no confirmation by independent researchers.
The second claims 100% efficiency of electrolysis.
If true, that only means no losses (which we sometimes ignore anyway when evaluating BEVs and FCEVs, etc); so Dan Nocera only claims he gives us energy as hydrogen instead of the same amoumt of energy as electricity..
Posted by: ToppaTom | 25 December 2008 at 01:37 AM
Has anyone invented a battery that can be recharged in 5 minutes and provides a range of 200-300 miles for a mid sized sedan. If not then fuel cells are a good second option.
Posted by: Mannstein | 25 December 2008 at 06:02 PM
Tom:
Right about confirm for lower ground state. The US Pat Off has denied applications based on that complaint. However there is indy confirmation of the thermal effect of Randy's catalyst - i.e. energy appearing for which there is no explicable physics. Tesla could not prove the physics behind AC power - yet it was clearly a better delivery method than DC.
NO option should be overlooked at this point. And you were interested in ways to make H2 in the garage. That is one of Nocera's goals. If DOE fastracked his work - you might have an efficient home-based electrolyzer before the first PHEV hits the road.
Posted by: sulleny | 26 December 2008 at 10:18 AM