Is Wall Street Wrong on Fuel Cells?
Is Wall Street wrong on fuel cells? That's what Ballard Power Systems, CEO Dennis Campbell, recently told Autoweek. "Wall Street has very short vision. All the fuel cell stocks have been hammered. I can't explain it."
Still, even under the best, best, best case scenario, fuel cell cars are at least a decade away from reality. At that point they will still be very expensive, and fueling stations could still be a major issue. Even if Ballard does perfect a fuel cell stack, integrating them into automobiles is another important obstacle and demonstrates the vast upside of some hybrid vehicles.
Toyota hybrid vehicles, such as the Highlander hybrid and the Prius, have only begun to achieve their potential. Both these vehicles serve as platforms for gasoline-electric hybrids, but more important, they serve as the platform for fuel cell vehicles as well.
Hybrid vehicles can help make fuel cell vehicles a reality much faster, and they can help us deal with today's oil-dependency problem, today. Can America really afford to wait another decade or two before taking action?
Still, even under the best, best, best case scenario, fuel cell cars are at least a decade away from reality. At that point they will still be very expensive, and fueling stations could still be a major issue. Even if Ballard does perfect a fuel cell stack, integrating them into automobiles is another important obstacle and demonstrates the vast upside of some hybrid vehicles.
Toyota hybrid vehicles, such as the Highlander hybrid and the Prius, have only begun to achieve their potential. Both these vehicles serve as platforms for gasoline-electric hybrids, but more important, they serve as the platform for fuel cell vehicles as well.
Hybrid vehicles can help make fuel cell vehicles a reality much faster, and they can help us deal with today's oil-dependency problem, today. Can America really afford to wait another decade or two before taking action?
Labels: electric cars, fuel cells, Highlander hybrid, Hybrid Vehicles, prius, toyota
posted by Dahcredyns at
9:48 AM
8 Comments:
Recent quotes were that fuel cell vehicles were "several decades" away, and "success is not certain" even then. link
Not sure if I've given you this other link, but while they are (even more) bitter than I am, they score some good hits:
Fool Cells
I agree that fuel cell vehicles are a huge uncertainty, and that is why hybrid vehicles are so important.
If better hybrid batteries can be created, perhaps fuel cells won't even be needed, or perhaps fuel cells will serve a more minor role in a vehicle's powertrain.
We're already decades into the fuel cell hoopla. GM's Wagoneer has lobbied Congress for years against fuel efficiency standards because it would take money away from fuel cells.
I mostly mention fuel cell vehicles because many critics are against hybrids because they believe they are a distraction to fuel cells.
The reason why the fuel cell stocks are being hamered is very simple Wall Street has finnaly realised that they are targeting the wrong product with the wrong kind of fuel.
Hydrogen for the car is the worst case scenario because it is not a liquid at room temperature has a low density and is a high explosive when mixed with air. An hydrogen bomb doesn't need to be nuclear to blow away an entire block of houses.
They are trying to use Hydrogen in a Hydrogen fuel cell for a car while in fact it is rather BioEthanol in a direct Ethanol fuel cell that would have a potential future in a car application.
Hydrogen fuel cells are in fact more adapted for aviation use where qualified personnel can serve the delicate product in adapted airport refueling systems more safely. Airplanes have also very predictable trajects and schedules which is more in line with Hydrogen use. In this case even cryotanks can be used on the back of the airplane like in the cryoplane proposal (http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/growth/gcc/projects/in-action-cryoplane.html).
The Hydrogen could be used to feed the fuel cell to produce electricity for an electrofan or for an MHD device. Alternatively the Hydrogen could be used directly by conventional turbofans.
It was my understanding that ethanol fuel cells use fuel reforming, or electro-chemically extracted hydrogen from ethanol, to power the fuel cell.
So wouldn't hydrogen still be the ultimate power source?
Just came across this article on Bush's renewed push for hydrogen and fuel cell cars as part of his Energy Bill.
According to the Bush Administration, "it's possible fuel cell cars will be mass marketed in 15 years."
(more)
15 years ... so, occupation forces will be able to use them in Iraq?
LOL. Hey, that would be perfect for GM, huh? Gives 'em a good reason to keep building the Hummer. Once they add a fuel cell stack to it, then they can sell it to the Army!
Long live the Iron Triangle!
Fuel Cells Too Expensive Forever
Please do teh math. 746 watts per horsepower...fuel cells are about $1000 to $3000 per KW depending on whom you believe...what does a 90 horsepower IC engine cost?? How much does the hydrogen cost???
the fuel cells will never repalce a fuel flexible, diesel, hybrid (ture hybrid with plug in capability after hours).
Post a Comment
<< Home