Fuel Cells Exceed US Government Targets

The US Department of Energy established three targets for fuel cells in 2003 that were to be met by 2009, and four teams from the fuel cell industry have beat two of the three standards that were set. 

The DOE said that fuel cells should have a 250-mile range, 2000-hour fuel cell durability and $3 per gallon equivalent cost. Today, National Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Learning Demonstration Final Report showed that fuel cells have a 254-mile range and 2,521 hour durability. The report said that one fuel cell maker is preparing a version with a 430-mile range. They cannot meet the $3/gallon equivalent cost yet. 

“We received final project data from our industry partners in October 2011, and have completed our analysis across the entire demonstration period. Through this project, 183 fuel cell electric vehicles were deployed, 25 project fueling stations were placed in use, and no fundamental safety issues were identified," said Keith Wipke, the report’s lead author.

The report says that hydrogen is still so expensive because of a lack of infrastructure. Even for this long-term study, the hydrogen had to be specifically produced. The report found that in theory hydrogen could be produced from natural gas in industrial quantities for roughly the equivalent of $3/gal. 

“The project results show that fuel cell electric vehicles have advanced rapidly. As vehicle manufacturers and other researchers worldwide continue to focus on the remaining challenges of balancing durability, cost, and high-volume manufacturability, there is optimism that manufacturers will introduce FCEVs to the market within the next few years," said Wipke. 

The data from the report come from 500,000 vehicle trips covering 3.6 million miles and 152,000kg hydrogen produced or dispensed.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funded the report. General MotorsGMUnited States of America, 1998 > present8 models
240 photos
, DaimlerDaimlerGermany, 1889 > present12 models
77 photos
1 video
, HyundaiHyundaiRepublic of Korea, 1967 > present79 models
1921 photos
3 videos
-KiaKiaRepublic of Korea, 1944 > present52 models
1724 photos
4 videos
, FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
2522 photos
11 videos
, Shell, BP, and Chevron contributed data to the study. The data was also independently verified. 

Source: Phys Org