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The International Clearinghouse for Hydrogen Commerce www.hydrogencommerce.com |
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Latest Advances in |
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WHAT IF THEY HELD
AN OIL |
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| Honda expects to lease several dozen FCX Clarity models per year in the U.S. and Japan to reach the total of about 200 units in the first three years. Since its Tokyo concept debut, Honda has received requests from more than 50,000 individuals who have indicated their interest in receiving further updates about the vehicle and about being considered as future customers of Honda fuel cell technology. ...Based on respondents' residential location, the list of potential customers has been narrowed to approximately 500 people living in very close proximity to publicly-accessible hydrogen fueling stations, including planned or existing stations in Santa Monica, Torrance and Irvine. more |
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Burns is stepping up the call for the energy industry and government to start implementing a fuel distribution system. ...Without this investment, the U.S. will get left behind. |
"It's now a question of collective
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"The excitement of this car to me
is that it demonstrates what we’re capable of, and it inspires me to keep
advocating for a more sustainable way of life." |
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Edward Norton Joins Will Ferrell, Jay Leno and Others To Be Among the
First Americans to Hit the Roads In BMW’s Hydrogen-Powered Vehicle |
| BMW today announced that highly respected film actor and renewable energy advocate Edward Norton is the latest person to receive keys to a BMW Hydrogen 7 - the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan. |
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"Driving in the H7 is like being in
a time machine - a full size luxury time machine... with power windows.
And in the future people are smart; they pump water instead of gas!" |
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A "zero-emission" sports car with a top speed of nearly 100mph is set to
be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show |
| The hydrogen-powered Lifecar, based on the design of the Morgan Aero-8 roadster, produces little noise and only water vapour from its exhaust. The lightweight model packs advanced fuel cells and an energy storage system that gives the car a range of 250 miles (400km) per tank of hydrogen. |
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"We are calling upon governments world wide, not just
the UK and the US, to assist our businesses by building hydrogen filling
stations in key cities so that drivers can fill up their cars more easily.
As a first step, existing filling stations could add renewable energy
pumps alongside other fuel pumps." Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Airlines Branson Calls for Hydrogen Stations MSN (UK) March 3, 2008 The Virgin chairman also appealed to governments world wide to build hydrogen garages. His call came as Virgin announced in New York that it was teaming with car giant General Motors to offer zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cars as part of Virgin's limo service for first class passengers.
BP, GM See Hydrogen in their Future |
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Whereas the Equinoxes are using GM's fourth-generation fuel cell, the Provoq has the fifth. There are two 10,000 psi hydrogen storage tanks that provide 13.2 lb. of hydrogen, which when mixed with oxygen in the fuel cell stack located under the hood, generate up to 88 kW of continuous power. There is also a lithium-ion battery pack that can store a total of 9 kWh of electrical energy and provide a peak of 60 kW of power. The electricity is used to power a 70-kW coaxial drive system for the front wheels and individual 40-kW wheel hub motors on each of the rear wheels. The 0 to 60 mph time is said to be 8.5 seconds. The E-Flex system in the Provoq has an expected range of 300 miles per H2 fill up, with 280 miles coming from the stored hydrogen and 20 miles from the stored battery electric energy. |
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Detroit 2008: Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept |
| Weighing in at a modest 2,750 pounds, the ecoVoyager doesn't have a problem performing like the cars we know and love, either. 0-60 is dispatched in 8.8 seconds, and Chrysler's claiming a 12.9 second quarter mile, which we find astounding to the point of disbelief. |
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Under the Hood of the Chevy Hydrogen Volt |
| More than just a random rendering, one can see Chevy's direction with eco-cars in some very clear side-by-side trends when compared with the original Chevy Volt. |
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Cadillac Unveils Hydrogen-Powered Provoq |
| It packs a pair of 10,000-psi hydrogen tanks, which feed a fuel-cell stack under the hood, which in turn produces enough juice (up to 88kW of continuous power) to charge a lithium-ion battery pack and spin both a 70 kW co-axial electric drive system at the front wheels and two 40 kW in-wheel motors at the rear. |
Lake Placid, NY, Ponders Hydrogen Police Fleet
Hydrogen Cars Now
January 3, 2008
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| Honda still won't say with any clarity how many Claritys it plans to offer at $600-a-month leases in Southern California next summer, which lends ammunition to those who accuse the carmaker of grandstanding for PR purposes. But Honda did say it plans to build this car in Tochigi, the location of the small-volume plant that gave us the Insight, S2000 and NSX. And the "production" FCX Clarity we drove recently in Southern California meets all FMVSS regulations for crash testing and other government standards and will be manufactured on an assembly line just like anything else Honda makes. So it's a finished product. |
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| I was expecting to have to make all sorts of allowances for it being the first pre-production version of the FCX Clarity, albeit in steel rather than the FCX Concept's carbon-fibre body. In the end, however, I didn't have to make any allowances, I just got in and drove it away. It was so convincing that I went home and tried to put my name on the list to get one. But I couldn't. In the five days since the car made its debut at the LA Auto Show, so many people had visited the FCX Clarity site to sign up for one of the 100 or so cars that will be available next summer, it had crashed under the load. That, I think, tells us all we need to know about its future popularity. |
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| A recent 2,300-mile trek in a Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle from Fairbanks to Vancouver along the Alaska Highway confirmed substantial progress in reliability and durability, cold-weather operation and extended range capability of Toyota's hybrid fuel cell system. “It was a grueling trip, but it proved to be just what we wanted,” said Craig Scott, manager of advanced technologies for Toyota Motor Co. in Los Angeles. Scott says there were no issues at all on the trip. more |
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SolviCore and Michelin Unveil Cooperation |
| "We are convinced of the urgency to propose solutions for a future clean mobility and the fuel cell will contribute for sure to this effort. The work engaged with SolviCore in the domain of MEA aims to achieve high performing, reliable solutions for use in the fuel cells. We plan to do significant progress in combining the know-how of both our companies," Michelin’s Pierre Varenne said. |
 The 2007 Challenge Bibendum Michelin |
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| The first phase of the project began in 2002, and three fuel cell buses manufactured by Daimler Chrysler started running in Beijing last June. Shen Yiyang, the UNDP official in charge of the project, told Interfax that the UNDP will invest $5.6 million in the second phase of the project. According to Shen, around $4 million will be invested in purchasing three to six buses for Shanghai. ...As Shanghai currently has just one fueling station, the three new buses will all run in Anting International Motown for the time being. A second hydrogen fueling station, to be built in the Shanghai World Expo Park, is being planned. To ensure a green World Expo, which will take place in 2010, no traditional vehicles will be allowed to enter the World Expo Park, which places fuel cell vehicles in a good position. Shanghai plans to have 10 fuel cell cars, 40 mid-sized fuel cell buses and over 10 full-sized fuel cell buses on the road by the time of the Expo. more |
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NEW HYDROGEN FUELING
STATIONS! |
Fuel Cell Today Comments on Ballard Power Systems’ |
 ISE Fuel Cell Bus at AC Transit in California London Mayor Announces Europe's Largest Fleet of Hydrogen Buses Mayor of London (UK) November 13, 2007 |
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The Mayor of London,
Ken Livingstone, today announced that ten new hydrogen powered buses will
join London's bus fleet by 2010. When operational on London's streets, the
hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles will produce no pollution or carbon
dioxide, a major contributor to global warming, and will help improve the
capital's air quality. |
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Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Refueling Station |
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| More than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicles will be deployed by General Motors in the streets of Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, DC, in the largest market test of fuel cell vehicles of its kind. The deployment plan dubbed ‘Project Driveway’ will give a variety of drivers — from regular families to celebrities — free use of an Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle and the hydrogen fuel it needs to make electricity onboard. The average family will get one of the vehicles for three months and be required to report their experience to Chevrolet. more |
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| Daimler has long believed hydrogen will be the fuel of the future, and today it joined Ford in making a $228 million bet that it will be right. The two automakers have launched a new company, Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation, by buying a majority stake in Ballard Power Systems' automotive fuel cell division. |
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SCANDANAVIA READIES PETROLEUM-FREE FUTURE |
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| Daimler has long believed hydrogen will be the fuel of the future, and today it joined Ford in making a $228 million bet that it will be right. The two automakers have launched a new company, Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation, by buying a majority stake in Ballard Power Systems' automotive fuel cell division. |
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Texas' First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus on the Road |
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Canada's Environment Minister Baird Opens Ottawa's First Hydrogen Fuelling
Station |
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The Honourable John Baird, Minister of
the Environment, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of
Natural Resources, and Pierre Gauthier, Air Liquide Director, Hydrogen
Energy, North America, presided over the official opening of the first
permanent hydrogen fuelling station in Ottawa as part of the
"Hydrogen on the Hill" project launched last year. The new station's first customers will be three hydrogen-powered buses operated by the Senate of Canada. "These buses have racked up more than 6,000 trouble-free kilometres over the past year. They're proving that hydrogen is not just a clean alternative - it's also a realistic alternative," said Minister Baird. "Our government is leading by example with initiatives such as Hydrogen on the Hill. This is another demonstration of our government's commitment to achieving tangible results for the reduction of greenhouse gases and air pollution that we set out in our Turning the Corner Plan." The new station, at the Natural Resources Canada Booth Street campus in Ottawa, is the fifth permanent hydrogen fuelling station in Ontario and the tenth currently operating in Canada. Natural Resources Canada, through the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance, and Air Liquide Canada each contributed $800,000 toward the $1.6-million station. "As we work toward the transition to a renewable hydrogen economy, Air Liquide Canada is delighted to see the next step in this project become a reality," said Luc Doyon, President and COO of Air Liquide Canada. "Our partnership with government and industry to educate the public about hydrogen as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels is an example of our joint commitment to sustainable development." Hydrogen on the Hill is part of a nation-wide project led by Industry Canada and Ford of Canada. The project is managed by Advanced Technologies and Fuels Canada (ATFCAN) and is assessing the environmental benefits and commercial feasibility of using hydrogen as a transportation fuel. Ford has deployed a total of ten shuttle buses across Canada powered by hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2ICE). The H2ICEs produce 75 percent less nitrogen oxide - the major ingredient in smog - no CO2 emissions and almost no other air pollutants. In addition to Ottawa, the hydrogen-powered buses will be running in Vancouver, Prince Edward Island and Toronto. |
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Canada's Premier Touts Hydrogen Train |
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While still in its preliminary stages, McGuinty said the hydrogen train is exactly the type of initiative envisioned when the government created the $650-million Next Generation Jobs Fund which the Liberals have pledged to expand by another $500 million after the Oct. 10 provincial election. |
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FORD SETS LAND SPEED RECORD WITH FORD FUSION HYDROGEN 999 Ford Motor Company made history today by reaching 207.279 mph with the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999, the world’s first production-based hydrogen fuel cell race car. The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 is Ford’s latest environmental innovation, another step on the road toward commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The car was designed and built by Ford engineers in collaboration with Ohio State University, Ballard Power Systems and Roush. |
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VIDEO: Ford's Hydrogen Fusion 999 hits the track for the first time Sam Abuelsamid AutoblogGreen July 17, 2007 |
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WENDOVER, Utah, August 16 – Ford Motor Company
[NYSE: F] today became the world’s first automaker to set a land speed
record for a production-based fuel cell powered car. The Ford Fusion
Hydrogren 999 fuel cell car raced to 207.297 mph at the Bonneville Salt
Flats in Wendover, Utah to set the record. The Ford "999" is the world’s first and only production vehicle-based fuel cell race car. It was built in collaboration with Ballard Power Systems, Roush and Ohio State University and is one of two vehicles demonstrating the potential of fuel cell technology. Ford researchers also are supporting student engineers from Ohio State University on its Buckeye Bullet 2, a streamliner-type fuel cell-powered racer attempting 300+ mph. “What we’ve accomplished is nothing short of an industry first,” said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, Research & Advanced Engineering for Ford Motor Company. “No other automaker in the world has come close. We are excited to have accomplished something never before done. We established this project to advance fuel-cell-powered vehicles and to do what has never been done before; and we did it.” Schmidt said Ford’s historic run at Bonneville will further expand the company's technological horizons with fuel cell-powered vehicles, because the use of hydrogen as a fuel could someday play a key role in meeting the energy needs of the transportation sector. The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 is Ford’s latest environmental innovation and is another step on the road toward commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The speed was reached during a run at the Bonneville Nationals, which are being held from Aug. 10-17. The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 land speed record vehicle was designed by Ford engineers and built by Roush in Allen Park, Mich. Ford engineers leveraged the 2004 Buckeye Bullet’s electric motor, while Ballard Power Systems supplied the 400 kW hydrogen fuel cells. Ford retiree Rick Byrnes, a veteran Bonneville racer, piloted the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 on its record breaking run. Ohio State students have designed their streamliner, dubbed Buckeye Bullet 2, from the ground up. Ballard donated the hydrogen fuel cells for Ohio State’s car, Roush its engineering services and Ford has provided overall project coordination and expertise in fuel cell drivetrains. In 2004, Ohio State students set the unlimited land speed record for an electric vehicle by running 314 mph in the first Buckeye Bullet, dubbed BB1. Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 Part of a Broader Effort
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Bullet 2 Blog Buckeye Speed Autotech Daily April 25, 2007 |
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GM Shares Up on Hydrogen Vehicle Outlook
Hydro-Genius
Quentin Wilson Sunday Mirror (UK)
June 10, 2007
Ford
Engineer Says Plug-in Hybrid
Fuel-cell Cars May Reach Market First
Steve Mertl Canadian
Press June 2,
2007
Hydrogen-Fueled Buses Arrive in Orlando
Hydrogen Cars Taken for Campus Spin
Honda Steps Up its Green Dream
Daimler Chrysler Gears Up for Next Hydrogen Car
Hydrogen Fuel-cell Cars in Dealer Showrooms by 2015
A Volume Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car from GM by 2012?
Chinese Automakers Showcase Eco-cars
China’s Automakers Show Alternative-Fuel Cars
Latest Chevy Volt Will be Fueled by Hydrogen Status Report on the California Air resources Board's Zero Emission Vehicle Program CARB April 20, 2007 LARGEST ROLL-OUT YET OF
NATURAL GAS FUEL CELLS
New England's First Fuel Cell-powered Hybrid Bus Begins Service
University of Delaware Unveils Hydrogen-powered Bus
ICELAND PLACING WORLD'S LARGEST ORDER
FOR H2 CARS
Thirty Hydrogen Cars to Iceland Iceland Review
April 12, 2007 |
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Hydrogen Fueling Station Opens at Gas Technology Institute in Illinois |
| The fueling dispenser will be publicly accessible by arrangement, with credit card access. Hydrogen produced by the station will meet purity requirements for prototype vehicles powered by hydrogen combustion engines and/or fuel cells. The station is capable of processing natural gas, water (through electrolysis), or ethanol to produce hydrogen. There is future potential to also produce hydrogen from the gasification of coal or biomass. | |
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SCANDANAVIA READIES PETROLEUM-FREE FUTURE |
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Chicago Auto Show: Larry Burns Interview
Humboldt State U’s Schatz Energy Research Center Daimler Chrysler:
On Emission to Save the World Hydrogen Engine Center Unveils Its Hydrogen-Fueled Engine at Aviation Industry Expo Hydrogen Engine Center March 20, 2007 |
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EU
Research Brings Efficient Hydrogen Engines Closer European researchers working with partners from the US have developed a new type of hydrogen technology that will lead to new more efficient hydrogen-fed engines for clean cars. The EU-funded Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (HyICE) project tested ways to build hydrogen-fuelled engines that are as efficient as current diesel engines, without the same pollution, and with as little as possible trade-off in terms of engine size and power. |
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"The shift to a hydrogen
economy is not an incremental change to society, but rather a dramatic and
fundamental shift in the way that individuals will operate their vehicles in the
future."
Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation Announces
Ford Launches Plug-in Hybrid with Hydrogen Fuel Cell at Detroit Show |
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| "I am trying to find a
way of talking sense to power," he said, demanding that GM come clean about what
he claims was its role in squashing electric car production, killing mass
transportation, dividing cities along highway routes and exploiting its own
wealth and influence to keep gas guzzlers on the road. "They are shameless, they can not be shamed. If they had shame, they would not be foisting Hummers on women," Black said of what he deems the American auto industry's efforts to create customer dependence on gas-run vehicles. "Nobody woke up and said 'I want a Hummer.' Nobody woke up and said, 'We have to have Escalades.' What about corporate leadership? How about the right thing?" ...Still, Black isn't about to let up. He blames GM, Ford and Chrysler for the anti-American attitudes in the Middle East that led to the World Trade Center attacks and, ultimately, the U.S. war in Iraq. "We got an oil shock in 1973. They've had almost two generations, a generation and a half to get it right and what did they reward us with? Escalade, Navigator," he said. |
Green, the Color of Survival
Warren Brown Washington Post Dec 3, 2006
GM Banking on Electricity to Power Cars
Richard Williamson Rocky Mountain News December 1, 2006Hydrogen Highway Fuelling Station Opens in Victoria, BC
BC Transit December 1, 2006
BOC Gases, a subsidiary of the Linde Group, together with BC Hydro, completed the construction of the anchor fuelling station at BC Transit’s Langford facility near Victoria. The Victoria station is set up to dispense fuel to support one of the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program’s fuel-cell vehicles, which is operated by BC Transit and the Province of BC in the Victoria region. Natural Resources Canada, through the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance, contributed $480,000 to the project. The permanent facility cost of construction and initial operation is $1,006,628. ...The Victoria Station utilizes a three-tiered storage bank of low, medium and high pressure storage cylinders. As the hydrogen vehicle fleet expands in the Victoria region, additional storage cylinders can be added to support the incremental load. The fuelling system has the capability, with minimal additions, to fuel the next-generation of fuel cell vehicles which may have higher pressure fuel storage cylinders on board.
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