- Email: [email protected]
California FCV fleet adds another Toyota hybrid
NEWS Contact: Plug Power Inc, Latham, NY, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com Or contact: Honda R&D Co Ltd, Saitama, Japan. Tel: +81 48 462 5467, www.honda.co.jp/RandD Or contact: Airgas Inc, Radnor, Pennsylvania, USA. Tel: +1 610 687 5253, www.airgas.com
SFC, Toshiba show DMFC prototypes at CeBIT
M
unich-based SFC Smart Fuel Cell presented its latest direct methanol fuel cell performance prototype at the recent CeBIT 2004 information technology trade show in Hannover, Germany. SFC says the ‘PowerBoy’ is a flexible and highly miniaturized power supply that can operate and charge a variety of consumer electronic devices, including parallel operation of several products. The PowerBoy features long runtimes of up to 12 h per cartridge. The device weighs just 0.7 kg, and is claimed to have a greater energy density than Li-ion batteries. Fuel for SFC’s products is provided by small exchangeable fuel cartridges. The company has formed a consortium with leading international companies to create standards for safe and affordable cartridges. Also on show was a competitive notebook DMFC prototype from Japanese-based Toshiba, which was demonstrated powering a B5-sized sub-notebook PC. Toshiba’s DMFC [FCB, May 2003] runs on a methanol/oxygen fuel mix, and generates and supplies power directly to the PC. It is claimed to have an energy density up to five times that of a typical Li-ion battery.
Contact: SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG, D-85649 BrunnthalNord, Germany. Tel: +49 89 607 45460, www.smartfuelcell.com Or contact: Toshiba Corporation, Corporate Research & Development Center, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki, Japan. Tel: +81 44 549 2056, www.toshiba.co.jp/rdc
First steps in EU’s Quick Start hydrogen initiative
T
he European Commission is currently awarding 16 contracts, worth nearly 100m, for research projects on hydrogen and fuel cells, following its first call for proposals under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). EU funding is being matched by an equivalent amount of private investment for these projects, which the Commission has described as ‘the initial phase’ of its Quick Start initiative for hydrogen
May 2004
production and use. This initiative was set up last November by EC vice president Loyola de Palacio and research commissioner Philippe Busquin. About 62m of the EU funding is directed towards hydrogen technologies, while around 30m is available for research into fuel cells. Initiatives include integrated projects aimed at producing hydrogen-rich gas from biomass, developing hydrogen-powered IC engines, and producing innovative fuel cell systems and components for road transport applications. The Commission intends to reinforce this initial group of projects by launching calls for further research initiatives worth a total of 150m, as early as July. Together, these projects constitute the first phase of the Quick Start hydrogen program, paving the way for large-scale public/ private partnerships for research and demonstration activities. These partnerships will bring together EU and member state institutions, industry, the research community and other partners, notably the European Investment Bank, in order to leverage finance. The knowledge component of the Quick Start initiative comprises two 10-year partnerships. The first, with a 1.3bn budget, will explore the potential of producing hydrogen to decarbonize fossil fuel use. The second is a so-called ‘lighthouse’ project, worth 1.5bn, to explore the practical feasibilities of managing hydrogen energy communities, or a ‘hydrogen village’. Cooperation has been established with EU member states to coordinate national research activities in this field, following the recommendations of the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform, which held its first general assembly in January [FCB, February]. The Platform steering panels are now starting to develop coherent European research and deployment strategies. For more on the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform, go to: europa.eu.int/ comm/research/energy/nn/nn_rt_htp1_en.html
California FCV fleet adds another Toyota hybrid
T
oyota has delivered another Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) to the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine. The vehicle will be leased by Horiba Instruments, a manufacturer of analytical and engine measurement instruments. The vehicle joins 17 Toyota FCHVs on the road in Japan and the US. The FCHV is based on the Toyota Highlander mid-size SUV, and utilizes the same hybrid technology as the company’s Prius. The
In Brief Nissan leases first X-Trail FCV to Cosmo Oil In Japan, energy company Cosmo Oil has leased the first X-Trail FCV car manufactured by Nissan Motor Co, at a monthly lease price of ¥1 million (US$9200). Cosmo Oil will use the hydrogen-powered X-Trail FCV – which uses a 63 kWe PEM fuel cell system supplied by US-based UTC Fuel Cells – to obtain useful information on how it should configure the required future hydrogen supply infrastructure. Nissan has been conducting public-road driving tests in Japan since 2002 using prototype FCVs approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport. Both Cosmo Oil and Nissan are participating in the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration (JHFC) Project. The X-Trail FCVs are equipped with an airconditioning system jointly developed by Nissan and Calsonic Kansei Corporation that uses CO2 as the refrigerant, which is especially effective in heating a vehicle compared with the HFC-134 refrigerant used in most automotive air-conditioning systems, according to a Japan Corporate News Network report. It helps to overcome a key drawback in FCVs, which do not provide very effective cabin heating because they lack a heat source such as an internal combustion engine. Hydrogenics on track with 2003 results Toronto-based Hydrogenics Corporation has reported that for fiscal 2003, its revenues increased 68% to $26.7 million (all figures in US$, unaudited), compared with $15.8m for 2002. Its net loss for 2003 was $22.1m, slightly higher than the 2002 net loss of $20.6m. However, excluding $12.9m in non-cash amortization of intangibles and $0.7m in stock-based compensation expense, its net loss for 2003 was $8.5m, against $5.4m for 2002. The company’s fourth quarter 2003 revenues were $5.9m, similar to the $5.8m reported for fourth quarter 2002. The net loss for the fourth quarter 2003 was $7.7m, compared with a net loss of $5.1m for the year-ago quarter. For the full year, the company’s selling, general and administrative expenses (combined with R&D expenses) were $21.6m in 2003, almost double the $10.9m reported for 2002. The increase is largely attributable to the acquisition of Greenlight, combined with increased R&D activity focused on Hydrogenics’ emerging portfolio of fuel cell power products and hydrogen refuelers. Combined with year-end balances, the company now has approximately $105m in combined cash and short-term investments. It also now has in excess of 230 patent applications, protecting more than 100 inventions.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
5
NEWS fuel cell stack was developed and built in-house by Toyota, and uses hydrogen gas stored in four 350 bar (5000 psi) tanks. The vehicle has a range of up to 180 miles (290 km) and a top speed of 96 mph (155 km/h), and has been certified as a ZEV by the California Air Resources Board. Horiba is the second Irvine-based company to ‘adopt’ a Toyota FCHV for normal daily use. Employees of Orthodyne Electronics, a manufacturer of ultrasonic wire bonders, have been driving a Toyota FCHV since the end of 2002. Toyota has enlisted UC Irvine and UC Davis to test different aspects of consumer acceptance and market dynamics of FCVs, with each campus leasing two FCHVs. The National Fuel Cell Research Center at UC Irvine is researching product performance, reliability and usability, while the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis is using its FCHVs to study consumer awareness of and attitudes towards hydrogen FCVs and the hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Contact: Toyota Motor Corporation, Fuel Cell System Development Division, Higashi-Fuji Technical Center, Susono, Shizuoka, Japan. Tel: +81 559 977842, www.toyota.co.jp/en/tech/environment Or contact: Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc, Torrance, California, USA. Tel: +1 310 468 5084, www.toyota.com/environment/technology Or contact: National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California – Irvine, California, USA. Tel: +1 949 824 1999, www.nfcrc.uci.edu Or contact: Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California – Davis, California, USA. Tel: +1 530 752 6548, www.its.ucdavis.edu
Asia Pacific FCT sets up automated manufacturing
T
aiwan-based Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies (APFCT) is establishing a fully automated assembly system for the manufacture of its PEM fuel cell stacks, which will significantly reduce the company’s production costs. The key elements of the manufacturing platform are robots, vision systems and motion controls, to be supplied by Adept Technology in California. System design and installation is being managed by Lights Out Factory Automation. Automation in fuel cell stack fabrication will significantly minimize production costs and help in the early commercialization of fuel cells, says Jefferson Yang, founder and chairman of APFCT, which also has a research laboratory in California. ‘Of equal importance, production automation will result in a higher precision product with increased reliability, uniformity and performance’, he adds. 6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Contact: Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies, Taipei, Taiwan. Tel: +886 2 2659 6550, www.apfct.com
Or contact: Fuel Cell Test & Evaluation Center, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA. Tel: +1 814 269 2721, www.fctec.com
Or contact: Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies, Anaheim, California, USA. Tel: +1 714 630 9669.
Canadian government GTI-led team to develop boosts funding for diesel/JP8 SOFC for Army Stuart energy station
T
he US Army’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) has awarded a $3.7m contract to a team, led by the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) in Illinois, to develop a 10 kWe portable generator powered by a solid oxide fuel cell fueled by diesel or military logistics fuel. The ultimate objective is a compact and efficient SOFC system capable of operating on military diesel and JP8 fuels with up to 3000 ppm sulfur content. This initial award is expected to support the first phase of a multi-year program leading to a commercial unit. The team also includes the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Department of Defense Fuel Cell Test & Evaluation Center (FCTec), which is operated by Concurrent Technologies Corporation. In the first phase, expected to last a year, the focus will be on the design of two different 3 kWe fuel-processing technologies integrated with SOFC stacks. Mission evaluations and scale-up will occur in the subsequent phases, resulting in a 10 kWe prototype meeting military specifications. ‘The military is continually challenged to support a higher energy flow to the battlefield, while at the same time seeking greater efficiency in the use of its logistic fuels and quiet operation,’ explains Gerry Runte, executive director of GTI’s Hydrogen Energy Systems Center. ‘The system we anticipate delivering in this program will be a precursor to new portable field generators, and perhaps for vehicular auxiliary power units.’ GTI will also design and build an integrated fuel processor/SOFC stack based on a sulfur-tolerant diesel reforming catalyst. AFRL will modify its diesel fuel processor and integrate it with an SOFC, while GTI will assist with operational and integration design issues of the AFRL processor. FCTec will prepare protocols for system testing and set up test stations for later-phase prototypes.
Contact: Hydrogen Energy Systems Center, Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, Illinois, USA. Tel: +1 847 768 0753, Email: [email protected], www.gastechnology.org Or contact: Construction Engineering Research Laboratory ERDC/CERL, US Army Corps of Engineers, Champaign, Illinois, USA. Tel: +1 217 352 6511, www.dodfuelcell.com
T
oronto-based Stuart Energy Systems has been awarded an additional C$1.4m (US$1.07m) in Canadian government funding to expand the scope of its Hydrogen Energy Station (HES) development project. The funding will support the company’s development of hydrogen backup power generators and other hydrogen-related systems. As part of the HES project, Stuart Energy has developed technology that generates clean hydrogen for vehicle fueling. The latest investment – through Technology Partnerships Canada – is part of a C$4.25m project amendment that will allow Stuart Energy to adapt this hydrogen generation technology for use in hydrogen backup power generators and hydrogen-based storage systems utilizing renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. These systems can produce and deliver hydrogen to vehicles while providing backup or peak-shaving power. The HESfp, with both fueling and power capabilities – such as the one being installed in California [FCB, January] – comprises five modules: water electrolysis-based hydrogen generation, compression, high-pressure storage, hydrogen fuel dispensing and power generation. Contact: Stuart Energy Systems Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 282 7700, www.stuartenergy.com Or contact: Technology Partnerships Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Tel: 1 800 266 7531, Web: tpc.ic.gc.ca
Hyundai’s Tucson FCV
T
he fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) program at Korean-based Hyundai Motor Co is taking a major step forward with the unveiling of its Tucson FCEV sport utility vehicle at the recent Geneva Auto Show. The vehicle offers an extended driving range as well as subzero startup capability. The company says the vehicle – codenamed FJM internally – incorporates numerous technical advances, including a slightly higher output 80 kWe PEM fuel cell being developed by USbased UTC Fuel Cells, and a new Li-ion polymer battery. The use of lightweight aluminum
May 2004
SFC, Toshiba show DMFC prototypes at CeBIT
M
unich-based SFC Smart Fuel Cell presented its latest direct methanol fuel cell performance prototype at the recent CeBIT 2004 information technology trade show in Hannover, Germany. SFC says the ‘PowerBoy’ is a flexible and highly miniaturized power supply that can operate and charge a variety of consumer electronic devices, including parallel operation of several products. The PowerBoy features long runtimes of up to 12 h per cartridge. The device weighs just 0.7 kg, and is claimed to have a greater energy density than Li-ion batteries. Fuel for SFC’s products is provided by small exchangeable fuel cartridges. The company has formed a consortium with leading international companies to create standards for safe and affordable cartridges. Also on show was a competitive notebook DMFC prototype from Japanese-based Toshiba, which was demonstrated powering a B5-sized sub-notebook PC. Toshiba’s DMFC [FCB, May 2003] runs on a methanol/oxygen fuel mix, and generates and supplies power directly to the PC. It is claimed to have an energy density up to five times that of a typical Li-ion battery.
Contact: SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG, D-85649 BrunnthalNord, Germany. Tel: +49 89 607 45460, www.smartfuelcell.com Or contact: Toshiba Corporation, Corporate Research & Development Center, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki, Japan. Tel: +81 44 549 2056, www.toshiba.co.jp/rdc
First steps in EU’s Quick Start hydrogen initiative
T
he European Commission is currently awarding 16 contracts, worth nearly 100m, for research projects on hydrogen and fuel cells, following its first call for proposals under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). EU funding is being matched by an equivalent amount of private investment for these projects, which the Commission has described as ‘the initial phase’ of its Quick Start initiative for hydrogen
May 2004
production and use. This initiative was set up last November by EC vice president Loyola de Palacio and research commissioner Philippe Busquin. About 62m of the EU funding is directed towards hydrogen technologies, while around 30m is available for research into fuel cells. Initiatives include integrated projects aimed at producing hydrogen-rich gas from biomass, developing hydrogen-powered IC engines, and producing innovative fuel cell systems and components for road transport applications. The Commission intends to reinforce this initial group of projects by launching calls for further research initiatives worth a total of 150m, as early as July. Together, these projects constitute the first phase of the Quick Start hydrogen program, paving the way for large-scale public/ private partnerships for research and demonstration activities. These partnerships will bring together EU and member state institutions, industry, the research community and other partners, notably the European Investment Bank, in order to leverage finance. The knowledge component of the Quick Start initiative comprises two 10-year partnerships. The first, with a 1.3bn budget, will explore the potential of producing hydrogen to decarbonize fossil fuel use. The second is a so-called ‘lighthouse’ project, worth 1.5bn, to explore the practical feasibilities of managing hydrogen energy communities, or a ‘hydrogen village’. Cooperation has been established with EU member states to coordinate national research activities in this field, following the recommendations of the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform, which held its first general assembly in January [FCB, February]. The Platform steering panels are now starting to develop coherent European research and deployment strategies. For more on the European Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Platform, go to: europa.eu.int/ comm/research/energy/nn/nn_rt_htp1_en.html
California FCV fleet adds another Toyota hybrid
T
oyota has delivered another Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) to the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine. The vehicle will be leased by Horiba Instruments, a manufacturer of analytical and engine measurement instruments. The vehicle joins 17 Toyota FCHVs on the road in Japan and the US. The FCHV is based on the Toyota Highlander mid-size SUV, and utilizes the same hybrid technology as the company’s Prius. The
In Brief Nissan leases first X-Trail FCV to Cosmo Oil In Japan, energy company Cosmo Oil has leased the first X-Trail FCV car manufactured by Nissan Motor Co, at a monthly lease price of ¥1 million (US$9200). Cosmo Oil will use the hydrogen-powered X-Trail FCV – which uses a 63 kWe PEM fuel cell system supplied by US-based UTC Fuel Cells – to obtain useful information on how it should configure the required future hydrogen supply infrastructure. Nissan has been conducting public-road driving tests in Japan since 2002 using prototype FCVs approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport. Both Cosmo Oil and Nissan are participating in the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration (JHFC) Project. The X-Trail FCVs are equipped with an airconditioning system jointly developed by Nissan and Calsonic Kansei Corporation that uses CO2 as the refrigerant, which is especially effective in heating a vehicle compared with the HFC-134 refrigerant used in most automotive air-conditioning systems, according to a Japan Corporate News Network report. It helps to overcome a key drawback in FCVs, which do not provide very effective cabin heating because they lack a heat source such as an internal combustion engine. Hydrogenics on track with 2003 results Toronto-based Hydrogenics Corporation has reported that for fiscal 2003, its revenues increased 68% to $26.7 million (all figures in US$, unaudited), compared with $15.8m for 2002. Its net loss for 2003 was $22.1m, slightly higher than the 2002 net loss of $20.6m. However, excluding $12.9m in non-cash amortization of intangibles and $0.7m in stock-based compensation expense, its net loss for 2003 was $8.5m, against $5.4m for 2002. The company’s fourth quarter 2003 revenues were $5.9m, similar to the $5.8m reported for fourth quarter 2002. The net loss for the fourth quarter 2003 was $7.7m, compared with a net loss of $5.1m for the year-ago quarter. For the full year, the company’s selling, general and administrative expenses (combined with R&D expenses) were $21.6m in 2003, almost double the $10.9m reported for 2002. The increase is largely attributable to the acquisition of Greenlight, combined with increased R&D activity focused on Hydrogenics’ emerging portfolio of fuel cell power products and hydrogen refuelers. Combined with year-end balances, the company now has approximately $105m in combined cash and short-term investments. It also now has in excess of 230 patent applications, protecting more than 100 inventions.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
5
NEWS fuel cell stack was developed and built in-house by Toyota, and uses hydrogen gas stored in four 350 bar (5000 psi) tanks. The vehicle has a range of up to 180 miles (290 km) and a top speed of 96 mph (155 km/h), and has been certified as a ZEV by the California Air Resources Board. Horiba is the second Irvine-based company to ‘adopt’ a Toyota FCHV for normal daily use. Employees of Orthodyne Electronics, a manufacturer of ultrasonic wire bonders, have been driving a Toyota FCHV since the end of 2002. Toyota has enlisted UC Irvine and UC Davis to test different aspects of consumer acceptance and market dynamics of FCVs, with each campus leasing two FCHVs. The National Fuel Cell Research Center at UC Irvine is researching product performance, reliability and usability, while the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis is using its FCHVs to study consumer awareness of and attitudes towards hydrogen FCVs and the hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Contact: Toyota Motor Corporation, Fuel Cell System Development Division, Higashi-Fuji Technical Center, Susono, Shizuoka, Japan. Tel: +81 559 977842, www.toyota.co.jp/en/tech/environment Or contact: Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc, Torrance, California, USA. Tel: +1 310 468 5084, www.toyota.com/environment/technology Or contact: National Fuel Cell Research Center, University of California – Irvine, California, USA. Tel: +1 949 824 1999, www.nfcrc.uci.edu Or contact: Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California – Davis, California, USA. Tel: +1 530 752 6548, www.its.ucdavis.edu
Asia Pacific FCT sets up automated manufacturing
T
aiwan-based Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies (APFCT) is establishing a fully automated assembly system for the manufacture of its PEM fuel cell stacks, which will significantly reduce the company’s production costs. The key elements of the manufacturing platform are robots, vision systems and motion controls, to be supplied by Adept Technology in California. System design and installation is being managed by Lights Out Factory Automation. Automation in fuel cell stack fabrication will significantly minimize production costs and help in the early commercialization of fuel cells, says Jefferson Yang, founder and chairman of APFCT, which also has a research laboratory in California. ‘Of equal importance, production automation will result in a higher precision product with increased reliability, uniformity and performance’, he adds. 6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Contact: Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies, Taipei, Taiwan. Tel: +886 2 2659 6550, www.apfct.com
Or contact: Fuel Cell Test & Evaluation Center, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA. Tel: +1 814 269 2721, www.fctec.com
Or contact: Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies, Anaheim, California, USA. Tel: +1 714 630 9669.
Canadian government GTI-led team to develop boosts funding for diesel/JP8 SOFC for Army Stuart energy station
T
he US Army’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) has awarded a $3.7m contract to a team, led by the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) in Illinois, to develop a 10 kWe portable generator powered by a solid oxide fuel cell fueled by diesel or military logistics fuel. The ultimate objective is a compact and efficient SOFC system capable of operating on military diesel and JP8 fuels with up to 3000 ppm sulfur content. This initial award is expected to support the first phase of a multi-year program leading to a commercial unit. The team also includes the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Department of Defense Fuel Cell Test & Evaluation Center (FCTec), which is operated by Concurrent Technologies Corporation. In the first phase, expected to last a year, the focus will be on the design of two different 3 kWe fuel-processing technologies integrated with SOFC stacks. Mission evaluations and scale-up will occur in the subsequent phases, resulting in a 10 kWe prototype meeting military specifications. ‘The military is continually challenged to support a higher energy flow to the battlefield, while at the same time seeking greater efficiency in the use of its logistic fuels and quiet operation,’ explains Gerry Runte, executive director of GTI’s Hydrogen Energy Systems Center. ‘The system we anticipate delivering in this program will be a precursor to new portable field generators, and perhaps for vehicular auxiliary power units.’ GTI will also design and build an integrated fuel processor/SOFC stack based on a sulfur-tolerant diesel reforming catalyst. AFRL will modify its diesel fuel processor and integrate it with an SOFC, while GTI will assist with operational and integration design issues of the AFRL processor. FCTec will prepare protocols for system testing and set up test stations for later-phase prototypes.
Contact: Hydrogen Energy Systems Center, Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, Illinois, USA. Tel: +1 847 768 0753, Email: [email protected], www.gastechnology.org Or contact: Construction Engineering Research Laboratory ERDC/CERL, US Army Corps of Engineers, Champaign, Illinois, USA. Tel: +1 217 352 6511, www.dodfuelcell.com
T
oronto-based Stuart Energy Systems has been awarded an additional C$1.4m (US$1.07m) in Canadian government funding to expand the scope of its Hydrogen Energy Station (HES) development project. The funding will support the company’s development of hydrogen backup power generators and other hydrogen-related systems. As part of the HES project, Stuart Energy has developed technology that generates clean hydrogen for vehicle fueling. The latest investment – through Technology Partnerships Canada – is part of a C$4.25m project amendment that will allow Stuart Energy to adapt this hydrogen generation technology for use in hydrogen backup power generators and hydrogen-based storage systems utilizing renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. These systems can produce and deliver hydrogen to vehicles while providing backup or peak-shaving power. The HESfp, with both fueling and power capabilities – such as the one being installed in California [FCB, January] – comprises five modules: water electrolysis-based hydrogen generation, compression, high-pressure storage, hydrogen fuel dispensing and power generation. Contact: Stuart Energy Systems Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 282 7700, www.stuartenergy.com Or contact: Technology Partnerships Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Tel: 1 800 266 7531, Web: tpc.ic.gc.ca
Hyundai’s Tucson FCV
T
he fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) program at Korean-based Hyundai Motor Co is taking a major step forward with the unveiling of its Tucson FCEV sport utility vehicle at the recent Geneva Auto Show. The vehicle offers an extended driving range as well as subzero startup capability. The company says the vehicle – codenamed FJM internally – incorporates numerous technical advances, including a slightly higher output 80 kWe PEM fuel cell being developed by USbased UTC Fuel Cells, and a new Li-ion polymer battery. The use of lightweight aluminum
May 2004