Fuel Cell vehicles

Nissan’s fuel efficient future becomes a little clearer and more robust

Nissan's next hybrid?

New CVT, hybrid drive and fuel cells on deck

I’ve always liked Toyota’s automotive game plan. To date, Toyota has sold millions of hybrid cars as it has procured 1000’s of patents — not just regarding gasoline electric hybrids, but fuel cell hybrids and battery electric vehicles as well. Early on Toyota tied the technological connections between these three different powertrains quite tightly.

Others, such as Nissan — and basically most other automakers — have been a bit more sluggish regarding the future, although recently Nissan has anted-in quite a few chips behind pure electric cars. But electric cars are not going to be enough, and Nissan’s latest powertrain moves affirm that assertion. Read more…

Plug + fuel cell = The future of Mercedes Benz

The Mercedes Benz vision for 2025 luxury

Mercedes-Benz F125! plug-in fuel cell hybrid introduces many futuristic technologies

By 2025 ICE-vehicles will still dominate auto sales according to every forecast available; however, alternative technologies should begin establishing a serious foothold in the mainstream market. While hybrid cars — still powered by ICE – will lead the way, plug-in hybrids and battery electrics could also hit double digit market share.

And some of those plug-in hybrids could be powered be new lithium-sulfur batteries and fuel cells, much like the Mercedes-Benz F125! plug-in fuel cell concept. Read more…

Turning crisis into opportunity: The CO2 guzzling hybrid

Turning the CO2 problem into US energy independence

Forget hydrogen, is it all about the methanol economy?

A few years ago, I was completely opposed to natural gas. However, since my focus is foreign oil independence, I’ve come to realize that the critical issue is the legacy effect. Consequently, if new car sales are the key to energy independence, then foreign oil dependence will be around for decades.

Thus, I’m willing to embrace natural gas, particularly since it can be retrofitted into gas-guzzlers — addressing the legacy effect — and also used by hybrids — which promotes fuel cell and battery research. Likewise natural gas can create cleaner-than-coal electricity. Most interesting, however, it could be a bridge to CO2 guzzling, foreign-oil free hybrids. Read more…

MIT: Consumers warming to alternatives, but still prefer conventional gasoline cars

Make it easily cost-effective, or don't make it?

Lots of consumer eduction still required

A new MIT study found that almost 2/3’s of study respondents are receptive to alternative fuel vehicles, including natural gas, hybrid, fuel cell, and electric vehicles. While no one technology is overwhelmingly preferred, hybrid cars were the most popular and plug-in electric cars were the least popular.

Most important overall, the study found that while the media touts the environmental credentials of alternative vehicles, consumers just don’t care when it comes to expensive purchases like cars, although more than 1/4 of respondents are misinformed about the environmental impact of automobiles. Read more…

Are hybrids and plug-in hybrids “stepping stones”?

Today's Prius hybrid, tomorrows fuel cell hybrid?

Hybrids might outsell pure battery electrics forever

Obviously, I’m a huge fan of hybrid vehicles. However, if I ever buy another car — which I’m not confident I will — there is a good chance it will be a pure battery electric vehicle, rather than a plug-in hybrid or range extended EV.

Nevertheless, the idea that pure battery electric vehicles are the indisputable future is a dangerous idea. Read more…

Hybrids + biomass = US energy independence

Are American leaders afraid of real energy change?

New study further demonstrates US tools to fight foreign oil dependence

A new, simple biomass-to-wheel efficiency analysis by Virginia Tech’s Prof. Y-H Percival Zhang suggests that the US could embark on a very real path towards energy independence, today. More important, the path helps address the legacy impacts of America’s several hundred million vehicle fleet and our fueling infrastructure.

And for now, the keys are biomass, cellulosic ethanol, natural gas and hybrid cars. Read more…

Is China the future or the end of the US auto industry?

First high speed trains, now electrification

Technology transfers plus supply chains advantage Chinese auto industry

When it comes to the future of the auto industry, it’s all about Asia and no country looms larger than China. Yet, is China’s growing auto market really just fool’s gold?

For instance, soon new Chinese rules could force foreign automakers to give major ownership rights of any Chinese venture to Chinese partners, enabling full technology transfers to these Chinese companies. But that’s only one half of this scary story. Read more…

Serendipity: Did cheap hydrogen just become a reality?

Maybe automakers were wise to keep building fuel cell vehicles

Revenge of the fuel cell hybrid?

When I started Hybridcarblog, I was a fan of fuel cell cars. In fact it was the correlation between the Toyota Prius and fuel cell hybrids that excited me about the potential of hybrid technology. Over time; however, fuel cell vehicles started to seem more like a distraction, an excuse to maintain the status quo until some magical breakthrough was achieved – if ever achieved. Besides, with plug-in hybrids nearing reality, fuel cells seemed far less necessary.

In the last few years, however, fuel cell technological breakthroughs have been hard to ignore. Still, while fuel cells began to seem ever more plausible, clean and green hydrogen seemed a very tough nut to crack.

Until today. Read more…

Disruptive technologies: Lithium-ion batteries

Is lithium a disruptive technology?

Can chemistry change the way America drives?

“To compete with advancing gasoline/diesel engines, EV traction batteries have to be much more than twice as energy dense as lithium-ion ever will be, at least three times cheaper, and last much longer before replacement,” states a recent TrendTracker report.

So, does that mean that lithium is a dead end technology? What will it take to make lithium a truly disruptive technology? Read more…

What does GM’s updated plug-in hybrid drive say about the Volt?

Just as important as the Chevy Volt?

Are GM’s electrified powertrains unified?

Before GM’s bankruptcy, a plug-in dual mode hybrid version of the Saturn Vue was set to hit the market not long after the launch of the Chevy Volt. Since bankruptcy and the death of Saturn, the company has said little regarding GM’s dual mode plug-in architecture. A Buick iteration seemed a possibility, but overall the death of GM’s ‘other’ plug-in hybrid drive seemed plausible.

Then GM showed off an updated plug-in hybrid architecture in the Mi-Ray concept that opened the door to alternative plug-in hybrid powertrains, and at the SAE conference, GM announced an updated prototype of its dual mode plug-in hybrid drive.

Is GM confused about plug-in vehicles, or is GM simply creating a robust electrified portfolio? Read more…