Nissan Provides First Fuel-Cell Powered Vehicle For Hire

July 7, 2011 By

Article by Glady Reign

In the automotive industry, a common goal is set: to produce vehicles which are environment-friendly. One of the car makers dedicated to the production of clean cars is Nissan. They have recently developed a fuel-cell powered vehicle which they are making available for the public to experience. The X-Trail, Nissan’s sports utility vehicle, received a make over and part of it is the fuel-cell technology that it now employs. This hybrid version of the X-Trail can be accessible to commuters in Japan.

This is because the Nissan Motor Co., Ltd has recently delivered to Knagawa Toshi Kotsu Ltd. the latest version of the X-Trail. The hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle will be part of the company’s chauffer-driven hired-car fleet. Nissan is the first manufacturer to make available to a hired-car service a hired-car service. The use of the Nissan X-Trail fuel-cell powered vehicle will give commuters a chance to experience how it is like to ride in a vehicle that runs on fuel-cell technology.

The Nissan X-Trail FCV or fuel cell vehicle is equipped with a Nissan fuel-cell stack and a compact lithium-ion battery. The good combination of these gives the X-Trail FCV a performance like that of a gasoline-powered X-Trail. The fuel-cell stack provided by Nissan to the FCV is capable of producing as much as 90 kilowatts. This power gives the FCV a top speed and acceleration rate almost similar to that of the gasoline-powered X-Trail. The use of fuel cell in vehicles reduces the dependence on fossil fuel which is non-renewable source of energy. This means that once the supply of fossil fuel is gone, it is going to be gone forever. That fact makes the development of alternative source of energy of utmost importance.

The use of fuel-cell technology is a good alternative to gasoline since a vehicle powered by this technology gives off no emission harmful to the environment. The only thing that a vehicle with fuel-cell gives off is water vapor. The process involves the fusion of oxygen and hydrogen, both of which are abundant in the atmosphere. The fusion of the said elements will produce a chemical reaction from which electricity can be extracted. This is then stored in the lithium-ion battery of the car where it is called upon to power the electric motor that drives the vehicle. These parts are all made to be reliable and not prone to breakdown just like Volvo 940 parts. During the fusion of hydrogen and oxygen, the only by-product is water.

The use of fuel cell technology has indeed been explored and further developments are also being made. With more advances in this field of alternative fuel, the cost of production will surely be lowered. This means that more and more of these clean cars will be available to the public. Nissan is already embarking on a crusade to help in the effort of the global community to reduce harmful CO¬2 emission. This effort involves further development in the fuel-cell technology field. They are developing fuel cells which are not fragile and can take on the bumps on the road. The cost of fuel cell is also an issue they are addressing; they are developing ways on how to make inexpensive fuel cells. Once they found a way to overcome the production cost issue, they may be able to mass produce fuel cell vehicles.

Aside from the Nissan X-Trail fuel cell vehicle made available for a hired-car fleet, Nissan also allows consumers to have a fuel cell vehicle driving experience to test its performance and advantages. They allow consumers to test-drive fuel cell vehicles at their Nissan Gallery in Ginza, Tokyo.

About the Author

Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit, Mi. she is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.

Question by dancerplight: Id like to speak a word about Hydrogen Fuel and why it isn’t being talked about more.?

I really think hydrogen fuel is # 1 for the consumer, but the reason I think it will never make it to market is because of politics. Think about it, if you had the vehicle and the contraption that made the gas, you would be completely energy independant. The gov couldn’t tax you on anything. They would sell you what you need and then they couldn’t make any money off you.. Goverment always wants to stay in your pocket so they can keep an eye on you. Comments?

Best answer:

Answer by Robert R
The contraption that makes the gas is presently a huge plant. That is the problem so far, developing infrastructure to deliver the gas, and a way of separating the hydrogen that is not in itself energy intensive.

Add your own answer in the comments!

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Hydrogen Cell Experiment Pays Off – First Manned Hydrogen Fuel Cell Take-off

June 19, 2011 By

Article by Deb Powers

On a bright, blue morning at Hamburg Airport, the aeronautics industry came a giant step closer to changing the future path of alternative energy aircraft. That’s the morning that the Antares DLR H-2 motor glider became the first aircraft in history to take off solely under hydrogen cell power. While both the Antares and a Boeing hydrogen fuel cell powered plane have flown before, Tuesday, July 7, 2009 marks the first time that any manned aircraft has achieved lift-off without the assistance of a hybrid electric motor.

The Antares DLR H-2 was developed by the German Aerospace Center – Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, shortened to DLR in common speech. Lange Aviation, BASF Fuel Cells and Serenergy, a Danish company that provides hydrogen fuel cells for DLR’s flight research. The small craft is capable of speeds up to 187 miles per hour, though it only reached 105 miles per hour on its maiden hydrogen-powered takeoff, thanks to the extra weight of additional hydrogen cells.

History of Hydrogen Cell Experiment Planes

The development of hydrogen-powered airplanes has been rapid. The first full-size hydrogen cell aircraft took to the air in August, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. At just about the same time, researchers at Georgia Institute for Technology also launched an unmanned aerial vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Both flew for several minutes on pure hydrogen power, but required a boost from the airplane’s battery to get airborne. Less than a year later on April 6, 2007, the DLR made history when their Hyfish took off over the hills of Bern, Switzerland without the assistance of any hybrid power source.

Almost a year later to the day, Boeing joined the history making when the aircraft giant put the first manned hydrogen-powered aircraft into the air above Ocana, Spain. The plane, a small, white prop-driven two-passenger model, had a flying time of 45 minutes. The pilot shared the cockpit with a battery pack in the passenger seat. Once airborne, the plane was powered solely by hydrogen though it used electricity from the plane’s battery to get into the air. At the time, a Boeing spokesman said that hydrogen cells might be used to power small planes in the future, but were unlikely to become “the primary energy source for commercial airplanes.”

In just 16 months, the DLR had brought the research on hydrogen cell airplanes to the point of a manned takeoff relying solely on the power provided by the experimental hydrogen fuel cells. The agency expects that further research and optimisation will give the Antares the capability of flying 300 kilometres per hour. The light plane’s time in air has increased from 45 minutes to 4.5 hours, and its range has increased to 750 kilometres.

The Future of Hydrogen Cell Planes

While the DLR has stopped short of saying that the hydrogen cell experiment will be able to solely power a commercial aircraft anytime soon, the agency is already working toward making hydrogen fuel cells that will provide auxiliary power for those commercial aircraft. For the next three years, the Antares will make its home at the Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg where it will serve as a flying test platform for new hydrogen cell experiments and developments. If the DLR’s plans go as expected, it may be as little as five years before hydrogen fuel cells are being used to provide on board power for large capacity airplanes.

About the Author

Deb Powers is a freelance writer and researcher who writes frequently about renewable energy and global warming at Wet Wednesday. She has been an environmental activist since the 1970s, and continues to work toward a greener planet by highlighting advances in alternative energy sources and promoting Fair Trade causes.

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First Hydrogen Bike

June 12, 2011 By

Manhattan Scientifics First Hydrogen Bike. This company started it all in bicycles using hydrogen and fuel cells.

Video Rating: 4 / 5

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