Refuel Your Hydrogen Cars at Home
July 11, 2008
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A British company has developed a prototype unit that will allow you to refill your hydrogen fuel cell powered car at home. This could be a big step in rolling out fuel cell technology so that drivers can cut their carbon footprint.
Refuelling is seen as one of the biggest obstacles preventing the widespread use of hydrogen fuel cells in cars. Electric cars face a similar problem, although providing a regular electricity plug will undoubtedly prove easier than providing hydrogen, although fuel cells cars could prove to be an even better way to reduce your carbon footprint and fight global warming.
For years there has been a back and forth on the issue. Companies that are developing fuel cell technology are reluctant to mass produce any vehicles without enough refuelling stations for customers. On the other hand, infrastructure providers don’t want to put out the cash to build the stations until there are enough cars to use them.
The company, ITM Power, based in the UK says the machines uses water and electricity to produce the necessary hydrogen fuel. Overnight, the machine can make enough fuel to power a car for 25 miles. The machine can even turn unused fuel back into electricity for home use, though it is hard to see when this would actually be needed.
Jim Heathcote, the CEO of the company, said the unit could be available commercially as early as next year, and will cost around $4000. He also predicted that home stations could be used to supplement large public ones that could give enough for 100 miles. As well, as this technology is further developed, future versions of the machine will surely be able to produce larger quantities of fuel in a shorter amount of time.
Based on the current obstacles to fuel cell infrastructure, this development could be a huge breakthrough for customers that want to cut their carbon footprint with a fuel cell car before the refuelling stations are widespread.
At the launch Heathcote said, “given the pressing need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, especially oil, and to cut CO2 emissions, the future for hydrogen as an alternative means of storing and utilising energy cost-effectively has never been brighter.”
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Comments:(1)
Way cool!!!
Posted By: Amy @ 2008-07-10 12:51:17
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