GM: Fuel cells 'holy grail'

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Posted 7:58AM on Saturday, January 19, 2002

DETROIT - Automobile industry experts call it ``the holy grail'' - a new type of fuel that would make gasoline obsolete and replace car fumes with a harmless mist. But even with the partnership announced between the federal government and automakers to develop fuel cells that breath hydrogen, it could be a long time before drivers can trade in their gas guzzlers for cars that run on the new technology. Fuel cells, first used by NASA in the space program, create electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the only emission is water vapor. Hydrogen is an extremely flammable gas, however, requiring heavy tanks that can withstand collisions. The industry is working to develop lighter tanks that also are crash-worthy. The alternative to hydrogen is more easily available fuels, such as gasoline, methanol, propane or natural gas. But using those fuels in the cells requires an extra piece of equipment called a reformer to extract hydrogen from them, adding heat, cost and weight. The vehicles produce some polluting emissions, although to a lesser extent than internal combustion engines. The other major challenge to what automakers call ``a hydrogen society'' is a lack of a refueling infrastructure, or hydrogen filling stations. One of the goals of the partnership announced at the North American International Auto Show last week, called Freedom CAR, is to develop such an infrastructure ``Because the government is going to focus on hydrogen as the ultimate fuel, the debate over whether we use gasoline, methanol or hydrogen becomes less important,'' said Thaddeus Malesh, an expert on fuel cell technology with the market research firm J.D. Power and Associates. ``They can let the manufacturers focus on using hydrogen, which is the cleanest and most effective fuel.'' The fuel cell partnership, announced by Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, replaces a Clinton administration program to develop high-mileage vehicles. ``If this works this is the holy grail, this is the breakthrough,'' GM president and CEO Rick Wagoner told an industry conference Monday. ``We've done enough work, we think there are risks, and the payoff is not just for the automotive OEM's (original equipment manufacturers), it's the whole economy.'' Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club hail the advent of fuel cells. But they are skeptical of the motives of Freedom CAR, believing it is just a way to stall legislation that would raise fuel economy standards, called CAFE, corporate average fuel economy. ``Now that they're coming out with Freedom CAR, they say, `Don't raise CAFE now, wait 20 years,''' said Sierra Club Washington representative Ann Mesnikoff. ``The partnership makes no pledge to make or sell anything to the American public.'' One reason the automakers cite for the delay in mass producing fuel cell vehicles is the cost. When the first prototype fuel cell vehicles were shown in the late 1990s, the automakers estimated the engines would cost roughly 100 times more than an internal combustion engine. Malesh says that cost has been cut 90 percent since then, but is still too expensive for the mass market. GM chairman Jack Smith says having the government's vast research capabilities involved in fuel cell research could help bring the price down even further. ``It's like night vision in a car,'' he said. ``The vision system came from the M1 battle tank, but that system cost $20,000. We had to get the cost down to $1,500 a vehicle.'' Aside from the lack of an infrastructure and high cost, not enough is known about how fuel cell vehicles will operate in real world situations, says Ballard Power Systems Inc. chairman and CEO Firoz Rasul. Ballard produces fuel cells for Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG. Rasul says fuel cell vehicles will be put through real life applications beginning next year in California in response to that state's zero emission regulations. ``The program will confirm how they operate and will look at consumer reaction,'' Rasul said. DaimlerChrysler introduced a fuel cell minivan last month called the Natrium that runs on arguably the cleanest fuel - sodium boro-hydride, a chemical compound related to borax, which is used in laundry soap. At the North American International Auto Show now under way in Detroit, GM is exhibiting a fuel cell vehicle it calls the Autonomy. The car's chassis is a computer docking station of sorts. Only 6 inches thick, four small fuel cell motors - instead of one large engine - each power one wheel. Mechanical braking and steering systems are replaced by those operated electrically. GM says Autonomy is its idea of ``reinventing the automobile'' for the 2020 timeframe. ``We created a compelling concept to exploit the technology and create many reasons why customers would want to buy this vehicle,'' said Chris Boroni-Bird, a leader in GM's fuel cell program. ``We want to create a pull and a demand for this technology,'' he said. Pulling the public away from its long-honed habit of pumping petrol may prove to be almost as daunting as selling it on the technology. ``One hundred years of the internal combustion engine is hard to overcome,'' said Malesh. ``It's the gold standard by which you measure everything: cost, service, availability and performance.'' But Ballard's Rasul called Freedom CAR an ``assertive'' action that will move more automakers toward building fuel cell vehicles. ``I see the federal position one of setting a long term strategic policy and funding,'' Rasul said. Each of the U.S. automakers plans to produce limited numbers of fuel cell vehicles, mostly powered with gasoline or natural gas, in the next year or so, but 2010 is still the soonest any of them will estimate hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles could be available.

GM: Fuel cells &#39;holy grail&#39;

GM: Fuel cells 'holy grail'