Hyundai
has brought innovation and pace-setting technology to the forefront by
introducing the Hyudai Tucson FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) at
the on-going Chicago Auto Show.
Looking
at the Tucson fuel cell vehicle, you wouldn't notice anything
different from the standard-issue gasoline-powered version. Sharp eyes
might notice the fuel cap is a bit larger. But that’s about it. The Tucson is
proof that fuel celltechnology is no longer a science experiment. Yes,
automakers have had working fuel cell vehicles for years, but either the range
or the refinement wasn't there. Hyundai has largely conquered
those problems.
In
an automotive fuel cell, power for the vehicle’s electric drive motor is generated
by gaseous hydrogen entering the anode side of the fuel cell stack, while
oxygen enters the cathode side. A chemical reaction splits the electrons and
protons from the hydrogen. The electrons generate the electricity. The only
byproduct is water vapor, no pollution. Each fuel cell in the Tucson’s stack
generates 1 volt of electricity, so there are many cells in the Tucson’s
electric motor, which is rated at 221 lb-ft of torque.
Acceleration
is about equal to a 1.8-liter, nonturbo gasoline engine. The fuel cell Tucson
is no rocket ship, but the electric motor generates more than enough verve to
parry and thrust with the best of Chicago’s frenetic traffic.
All
fuel cell vehicles have an assortment of pumps and compressors to move the
hydrogen and oxygen through the system, but you don’t hear them in the Tucson.
Hyundai
says the driving range on one tank of hydrogen is somewhere between 250 and 300
miles for most drivers. That solves at least some of the range problem. Most
gasoline-powered cars go about the same distance between fill-ups.
The
only problem now is that there are not enough hydrogen filling stations yet to
make a fuel cell car practical, and of course, the price is another factor to
consider. Toyota already plans to launch the swoopy Mirai fuel cell
vehicle this year, while Honda’s is scheduled for next year, and GM promises a
fuel cell vehicle -- possibly using technology in the Chevrolet Bolt -- by 2020
But
more important than that, the Tucson requires nothing special of the driver.
The Tucson makes the transition from gasoline to hydrogen as seamless as
possible. And that was one of the goals of the project, Hyundai spokesman Chris
Hosford, said at the Chicago Auto Show.
“We
wanted the technology to be invisible. Want it to feel like any other car that
anyone else drives. The only difference is where you fuel it.”
Hosford
says Hyundai views fuel cell technology as a race in which the Korean automaker
can compete and win against Mercedes-Benz, Ford, General Motors, Toyota and
other global manufacturers with deep engineering resources.
“Companies
like General Motors and Mercedes have been building gasoline engines for a
hundred years,” says Hosford. “They have a lot of institutional knowledge. They
are really good at it. And our guys are really good at it, too. But that kind
of an edge is really hard to jump over. But hydrogen is brand new.”
Culled from a report By Richard Truett at Automotive
News
Photo credit: Hyundai
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