Toyota drove this fuel cell powered Highlander from Alaska to Vancouver in 2007.

In an attempt to generate some good press for the troubled automaker, Toyota has announced that they will bring to market a hydrogen powered sedan in 2015. Perhaps the most surprising revelation was the projected cost of approximately $50,000, or that fact that Toyota claims such a product will be profitable. Previously, hydrogen fueled vehicles had been prohibitively expensive, costing in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to manufacture. Major automakers, including Ford, Renault / Nissan and GM have abandoned their hydrogen car development efforts in favor of electric and hybrid car programs, whose technology is both more mature and more affordable.

There are two ways to power a vehicle with hydrogen: the simplest involves converting an internal combustion to burn hydrogen instead of fossil fuel. Problems with this type of design are many; first, you need a safe containment vessel for the pressurized (and highly flammable) hydrogen gas, which adds considerable weight and consumes storage space. Next, there’s the problem of infrastructure; without a network of hydrogen fueling stations, drivers must be careful where they go in hydrogen powered vehicles. You can’t just hop on Interstate 80 and drive from California to New York without some serious advanced planning. Which leads to the third problem of using hydrogen as a fuel: although highly combustible, it doesn’t have the energy density of gasoline. In other words, a lot more hydrogen is required to give you a range similar to that of a gasoline powered vehicle.

Another way to use hydrogen to power a vehicle (and the method most likely under development at Toyota) is in a fuel cell, where reacting hydrogen with oxygen produces electricity in a manner similar to a conventional battery. Unlike battery powered vehicles, fuel cell vehicles don’t require recharging via electricity; instead, the driver “recharges” the fuel cell by adding more hydrogen. Issues with hydrogen refueling stations aside, the fuel cell design has several drawbacks. Until now, cost to produce the fuel cell elements has been prohibitively high. The fuel cells themselves are extremely fragile, and can be damaged by impact, vibration or even impurities in the hydrogen. Fuel cells are not environmentally robust, and must be kept at temperatures above freezing to function. Finally, there’s the issue of service life: current designs have been tested to approximately 7,500 service hours under ideal conditions, but a true lifespan for a road going vehicle has yet to be determined.

Although hydrogen is called the “most abundant element in the universe”, it doesn’t occur in pure form on earth. There may be a lot of it around, but energy is required to separate hydrogen from other elements it bonds with. Conventional methods of production involve the use of fossil fuels, which defeats the purpose of hydrogen power in the first place. New methods of hydrogen extraction, using wind or solar power are under development, but do not yet yield the quantities necessary to make hydrogen a viable fuel source.

The initial track testing phase of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize vehicles has begun at Michigan International Speedway. This video, courtesy of Consumer Reports, gives a good overview of what the competition is all about. Unfortunately, there isn’t all that much footage of cars testing, but some things are clear: the Aptera may be fuel efficient, but it doesn’t handle worth a damn and the Tango (the extremely narrow orange car in the video) really can back its claim of a four second zero to sixty time.

Speaking of the Tango, we’ll do a writeup on it in the near future. In the mean time, ponder this: the Tango is 39 inches wide, or 5 inches narrower than a Honda Gold Wing motorcycle. It’s 101 inches long, which makes it five inches shorter than a Smart car. It’s not light, due primarily to the weight of the batteries and the steel safety cage, tipping the scales at 3,150 pounds. The twin motors are good for 1,000 pound feet of torque (and no, that’s not a typo), which gets the clown-car-sized Tango from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds. It’ll turn the quarter mile in 12 seconds, at 120 miles per hour. It’s single speed transmission is good for 135 miles per hour at 8,000 RPM, and it claims a range of over 150 miles on lithium ion batteries.

Commuter Cars Tango T600

Like anything with wheels that goes fast, it comes at a price. The base Tango T600 kit (which requires 8 hours of assembly) is $108,000 and we’re not done spending yet. Next, the drivetrain adds $5,000 to the bill, followed by Li-Ion batteries at $53,000 (you can cheap out and go with lead acid batteries for $8,000, but that only gives you a range of about 40 miles). If I’m doing the math right and have everything that I need, the total comes to $166,000. That’s a lot of coin to pony up for an electric commuter car, even if it is the world’s fastest. Commuter Cars (Tango’s manufacturer) is working on a lower cost, mass production version dubbed the T200, but don’t expect it to have the same level of performance.

This new wave of hydrogen fuel cell cars is not due to new technology, but instead a demand from the public in response to rising gas prices. In fact, fuel cells have been around since the early 1800′s. Even so the first car to put fuel cell technology to use was the 1966 GM Electrovan.  This van’s fuel cell had a range of over 120 miles which is not to bad compared to the modern Honda Clarity which has a range of 24o miles. This van was built and tested in 1966 but ultimately ended up failing due to cost and a lack of space.  The piping and equipment needed to power the fuel cell turned the 6 seat GMC Handivan into a 2 seat hyrdogen Electrovan. High costs came as a result of a lack of information, technology, and interest at the time. There was such a lack of information on hydrogen fuel cell cars that even the Smithsonian Institute did not allow it inside their facilities for the sole reason that they had never heard of a fuel cell before and did not understand it’s dynamics. Obviously the information  and technology available today makes the hydrogen fuel cell cars more affordable and safe, but the main reason they may now succeed is that there is a greater worldwide interest due to the global energy demand and rising fuel prices.

Although the variety of alternative fuels, hybrids and electric vehicles being pursued may project a serious commitment by the automakers to explore a new path, the long term viability of all of these different solutions and approaches is probably not sustainable indefinitely. Just as the internal combustion gasoline engine emerged out of a number of early contenders to dominate the automobiles life up to this point, one or two of these technologies will most likely be successful enough that ultimately it is adopted more than any of the others.

This, in part, explains why Mazda has remained on the periphery of the hybrid/electric discussion. Mazda’s approach has instead turned towards replacing gasoline with hydrogen.

They are not alone. Several automakers have invested in hydrogen research, including GM and Toyota. But unlike these manufacturers, Mazda is not interested in using hydrogen primarily in fuel cells as generators of electricity, but as the direct fuel for the internal combustion engine itself. The benefit in burning hydrogen is that, unlike a fuel cell, it does not require the owner to accommodate lengthy charge-up periods, or strict limits to driving range. Also, because Mazda is burning hydrogen in its existing rotary engines, the Mazda hybrids can switch from hydrogen to gasoline operation at any time, increasing the car’s range and the ability to use whatever fuel is available.

One hydrogen prototype is a modified version of Mazda’s RX-8, modified to run on both hydrogen and gasoline. The car simply burns hydrogen in its engine to provide power, and allows the driver to switch between the hydrogen and gasoline fuel tanks. The car has about a 60 mile range on a tank of pure H2, at which point the car will switch to gasoline. Apart from a slight drop in horsepower when running on hydrogen, there’s not a significant difference between driving on hydrogen and gasoline.

The second vehicle is a modified version of the Mazda5 minivan-like passenger car. This vehicle uses a series hybrid drive-train; the internal combustion engine is used only to recharge the batteries or directly generate electricity to run the electric drive motor. Like the RX-8, this vehicle can travel up to 60 miles using its on board hydrogen supply before switching to gasoline.

There are other drawbacks than just the relatively modest driving range on hydrogen. Since hydrogen is not an energy source, but rather the means of storing energy, it currently takes more energy to create a tank of hydrogen than can currently be retrieved back out of the gas. But perhaps the biggest hurdle to fueling a hydrogen car is the lack of infrastructure currently available, ie: gas stations. But, of course, the same could be said of any of the gas alternative plans. And just like them, Mazda’s hydrogen plan is at least a decent place to start.

Intending to gauge the real-world sustainability of hydrogen-fueled vehicles, GM launched Project Driveway in 2008, equipping select consumers in the greater New York City, Washington D.C., and L.A. areas with a hydrogen powered Chevrolet Equinox for two month increments.

To accommodate the alternatively-fueled vehicles, GM partner Shell Oil, opened its first hydrogen powered fueling station in White Plains, New York in tandem with Project Driveway’s launch. Today, GM and Shell announced the grand opening of a second hydrogen fueling station at JFK International Airport, to be followed be a third opening in the Bronx later this summer.

“These partnerships are critical to building the infrastructure that will make hydrogen a relevant alternative fuel in the future as well as a key to the ongoing success of Project Driveway,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of R&D and Strategic Planning. Added Duncan Macleod, Shell vice president of Hydrogen, “The prospects for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are strong in the longer-term. This first cluster is an important step as we continue to build capability in retailing hydrogen fuel, in line with the auto makers’ plans to develop hydrogen vehicles.”

Source: GM

And you two groups of slightly socially inept folks though you had nothing in common! You Linux nerds hate proprietary technology, and what is more proprietary than insidious Celtic dancing? And you Riverdance fans, afraid to expose yourself to public ridicule, hide in the shadows. Hide no longer! The Riversimple is here! A hydrogen city car with a name seemingly inspired by the fancy footwork of Micheal Flatley. Its open-source concept ensures that no one involved will make money, and the silly name will mean it is ridiculed almost as often as the similarly silly-named Riverdance!

Click through for a less nonsensical description of this concept.

Surely you’ve intuited that the Riversimple shares nothing with Riverdance other than a stupid name, so if you didn’t get the joke … it was a joke. Now onto the car: it will apparently (grain of salt ready?) go 50 MPH, get 200 miles on a tank of hydrogen, delivering approximately 300 MPG. It will be leased for $315 per month. Furthermore, it will be distributed through an open-source method where the engineering plans will be given to a non-profit foundation to distribute those plans to local contractors manufacturing the vehicles for local conditions. Of course, there are holes in the PR here so big you could drive a truck through. How will this distribution model be competitive with the economies of scale reached by multinational corporate automakers? Who the hell wants a car called Riversimple? Who let these people talk to the BBC? We remain HIGHLY skeptical of this “revolutionary” idea. We all remember how much the Segway changed the world of transportation …

[Source: BBC]

GM HydroGen3 fuel cell vehicle.

The Department of Energy has deeply cut funding for hydrogen fuel cell development for vehicle applications. Several automakers, including Honda and GM, have been touting fuel cells as the premier clean power source of the future, but the DOE is unconvinced.

Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle.

The reasons for the cut are simple: DOE analysts determined that the expense of the cells as well as the distribution structure of the hydrogen fuel was too high to justify continued research. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, in a briefing to discuss the changes, stated “We asked ourselves, ‘Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will convert to a hydrogen car economy?’ The answer, we felt, was ‘no.’”The DOE will continue to fund fuel cells for other applications, just not for vehicle applications.

Our take? This is unfortunate but perhaps not unexpected – hydrogen fuel cells are an expensive proposition, requiring huge infrastructure expenditures. Translation – it will cost too much to switch over from gasoline to hydrogen. Does that mean we shouldn’t try? Let the pundits begin deliberating … now.

[Source: CNet]

Well, in an uncharacteristic attempt to be positive we will say this: at least the sleek exterior styling and reflective vest-colored paint job helps us momentarily forget it’s a Kia…

Officially unveiled in standard ICE form at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show back in February, the HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) variant of the 4-door Kia Forte received its big debut today with its inaugural appearance in Korea. Powered by the same hybrid propulsion system found beneath the hood of the Hyundai Elantra, the Kia Forte LPI Hybrid receives its propulsion from a 144-horsepower 1.6L liquefied petroleum injected (LPI) engine, a small 20-hp electric motor, and an advanced lithium-polymer battery pack. Mated to a continuously variable transmission, the Kia Forte LPI boasts a fuel-consumption average of around 41 mpg and, interestingly enough, appears to be edging in on the Chevy Volt’s territory. According to sources, the Forte LPI’s lithium battery pack is produced by LG Chem, the same company charged with supply the battery pack for the upcoming Chevy Volt. What’s more, when the new Kia Forte LPI hits the market in late summer, it was effectively become the first lithium-polymer powered vehicle in the world to reach mass production.

With both a plug-in hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicle also currently in development, Kia has hinted that the Forte LPI Hybrid is but a small part of what is ultimately intended to be an aggressive presence in the global hybrid car market. Details surrounding official launch European and North American dates are still fuzzy, however, with guesses ranging anywhere from 2010 to 2012. Although we personally care very little, we’ll keep you updated as more information is released.

Source: Autocata

Scheduled for European launch in 2010, Volvo enthusiasts (all 4 of us) will have to wait until 2012 for the chance to get behind the wheel of one of Volvo’s DRIVe-badged vehicles. Fortunately, we couldn’t care less about fuel efficiency, so we don’t mind the two-year delay as long as we have access to all the sweet Swedish eye candy from Volvo’s media files.

Set to debut officially next week at the Geneva Motor Show, Volvo’s DRIVe lineup is comprised of 6-speed manual transmission and diesel engine-equipped variants of the Volvo C30, S40, V50, V70, S80, XC60, and XC70. Additionally, the C30, S40, and V50 will become the first vehicles to be equipped with Volvo’s Start/Stop function that allows engine to switch off when the car is at a standstill. To engage the Start/Stop function, the driver moves the gear lever to neutral and releases the clutch while at a standstill, which then switches the engine off. The next time the driver presses the clutch, the engine starts up again. This technology can reduce fuel consumption and thus carbon dioxide emissions by 4-5% in mixed driving conditions and up to 8% when city driving.

Utilizing kinetic energy, Volvo’s Start/Stop system is powered by a regenerative charging system. This is a function that charges the battery as soon as the driver releases the accelerator or brakes while a gear is engaged. By harnessing the car’s kinetic energy, the alternator does not have to use diesel fuel as a power source when the battery’s charge level dips.

Said Product Development at Volvo Cars Senior Vice President, Magnus Jonsson, “We feel that the customer should not have to compromise on either driving properties or comfort despite the smaller engine size. These cars have perfectly adequate performance and in addition a very low environmental impact, actually at a level that none of the competitors in this size class even begin to approach.”

Source: Volvo Cars

Receiving less than its fair share of press time recently given the current debacle in Detroit, Mazda has managed to assemble quite an impressive hybrid line-up without gaining the attention of many mainstream media members. Planning to fan their enviro-friendly plumage December 11-13 at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center in Japan, Mazda will unveil several vehicles utilizing Mazda’s new CO2-reducing technology. The focal point of Mazda’s display will be their new i-stop start/stop engine, which Mazda claims increases fuel efficiency by a full 10%. In addition, Mazda will also be showing off two of their proudest accomplishments: the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid vehicle and the RX-8 Hydrogen vehicle. While both of Mazda’s hydrogen vehicles will be appearing in prototype form with no confirmed production schedule for the future, Mazda’s i-stop engine has already passed Japanese emissions tests and is slated for release in 2009. No word yet on when Mazda’s new green gadgets will make it stateside, but I’ll admit my interest is definitely piqued inasmuch I am absolutely fascinated by Mazda’s apparent steadfast dedication to their disfunctional relationship with the rotary engine.

Check out Mazda’s hybrid line-up after the jump