Hands-off with the Chevy Volt hydrogen concept powertrain

GM spliced and diced a Chevy Volt hydrogen prototype and put it up for the world to see at this year's 2008 CES. Rocking GM's fifth generation fuel cell stack en-lieu of a regular gasoline engine, we wouldn't hold our breath seeing this before the electric version drops in 2010. Peep the gallery below for the full run-down.

Gallery: Chevy Volt at CES 2008

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[Curt @ Mar 23rd 2008 7:46PM]

Sorry to burst your bubble about the hydrogen economy, but nobody seems to be paying attention to the huge amount of energy needed to obtain hydrogen, and then compress it to thousands of pounds per square inch. We can get hydrogen by chemical reaction from natural gas losing energy in so doing, or by electrosis of water consuming much energy. Now if we used renewable energy to provide the electricity for electrosis this "sounds" neat. But, all of you are grossly underestimating the huge amount of electicity required to bring this about. And then much more power is needed to compress it. I'd like to see a chemical engineer, chemist, or physicist calculate the total energy needed to produce enough energy to drive the Chevy Volt 40 miles. And we haven't even discussed the cost of building the infrastructure yet.

[Flashpoint @ Jan 11th 2008 12:46PM]

Why are they trying to stuff all this technology into these small assed cars?

A alternative fuel car should not sacfrice space. A economy model should be no smaller than a Malibu/Ford Fusion. A crossover should be no smaller than a Ford Edge/GM envoy, a mid size should be no smaller than a Impala, a full sized SUV should be the size of an Expedition/Denali. An extra large, the size of a Navigator/Escalade.

[Andrew @ Jan 11th 2008 6:32PM]

As of right now, none of these technologies allows for performance/fuel economy/long distance journeys without being both light and aerodynamic. Sure, have your giant heavy SUV run on electricity or hydrogen, but most of the vehicle will be energy storage, and you'd still only drive 100 miles before you have to refill. Think before you type.

[Shmoe @ Jan 11th 2008 1:08PM]

I agree. They never build these new technolgies on practical, everyday cars, then they wonder why nobody buys them and end up killing the effort. They always start with a two-door compact. If they would start with larger four-door cars or preferably pickups and SUVs, people would switch faster and the manufacturing costs would come down faster.

[Chad @ Jan 11th 2008 1:33PM]

Those rims are bad ass.

[treacherous @ Jan 11th 2008 1:43PM]

This is pretty cool. Enough of this myth that the corn lobby and environmentalists are propagating that Ethanol and BioDiesel are the saviors from the "evil" oil producers. Instead we need to embrace the future: Hydrogen!

The way for Congress to REALLY push the country in the direction of a TRULY renewable * energy source is to mandate that the military convert its vehicles to Hydrogen power. The military drives many new technologies, and ordering thousands of Hydrogen vehicles for military purposes will allow for Hydrogen to make its way into the consumer market.

[treacherous @ Jan 11th 2008 1:44PM]

* Disclamer: No energy source is TRULY "renewable," as the laws of physics state that no energy can either be created or destroyed.

[MARSHAK @ Jan 11th 2008 1:52PM]

right. but the sun and the wind work pretty good for me. when the sun explodes, we all die anyway. thus no energy crisis. until then the sun can provide lots of heat, light and can power all that water and air that makes weather.

[Bryan @ Jan 11th 2008 2:43PM]

treacherous:

Sorry to burst your bubble, but hydrogen isn't an energy source. It's a method of storing and transporting energy. The creation of pure hydrogen gas requires quite a bit of energy (see: electrolysis). That input energy is then stored in the hydrogen gas until it is converted by the fuel cell into electrical energy.

Here's the rub. Although the emissions from a hydrogen car consist solely of water and oxygen, unless the hydrogen is generated with a completely clean energy source (wind, water, possibly nuclear) there are still emissions. If the hydrogen is generated by a coal powered plant, for example, then the emissions resulting from the burning of the coal, while not directly caused by the operation of the car, must still be factored into the environmental friendliness of the hydrogen economy.

[MichaelD @ Jan 11th 2008 2:55PM]

Indeed. A hydrogen car is still an electric car, it just has a better fuel cell (better because it can recharge faster--just fill the tank with hydrogen instead of spending a long time charging) Electric cars in general are better--not just for the environment but for practicality. If we have cars powered by any energy source, as soon as that source is used up we have to get all new cars (hence the dilemma now--no one wants to switch from gas b/c it would be so much work to make all new cars and replace all the gas stations) But electric cars (like hydro cars) will always have power, since electricity will exist as long as we have ANY source of energy.

While solar power is great in theory, we have yet to see truly practical solar power (in my knowledge). The likelihood is that we will not in the near future find any source of energy that will last forever, so it's good to keep our options open with electric cars that can use any source of energy.

[treacherous @ Jan 11th 2008 3:03PM]

My concern is much less with the environment than not supporting the third world dictatorships we do when we buy oil. However, I am a lover of clean air just like the rest of you, and cars that emit water vapor as their only byproduct seem to me to be the best way to achieve this.

I do see what you are saying in that the Hydrogen gas needs to be separated from water through electrolysis. I'm also a supporter of Nuclear power. It is by far the most efficient, and is a clean source of energy. Off-shore windfarms are also great ideas. Solar is nice as a secondary power source, but it is so inefficient that it is not cost-effective.

[MichaelD @ Jan 11th 2008 3:18PM]

I think it's important for people to realize that global warming and the environment are not the only reasons to support alternative energy and technology like electric/hydro powered cars. I don't see global warming as a serious problem (not to start a new debate), yet I still firmly support alternative energy, for the reason treacherous stated as well as the simple reason that our current energy sources will eventually run dry.

P.S. I'm big on wind power too...

[Tim @ Jan 11th 2008 1:45PM]

AFS Trinity Energy Corp had taken a stock Saturn View hybrid and created and a Volt style E-REV-40 that can cruise at 80-mph in all electric mode for over 40 miles! AFS Trinity Energy Corp is willing to license their technology to the car manufacturers. The prototype is running right NOW!

Edward Furia, the CEO of AFS Trinity Energy Corp stated in the 1/11/08 CNN interview that:

“The batteries, the ultracapacitors and the electronics pieces are all things that you can just buy off the shelf.”

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2008/01/11/hunter.extreme.hybrid.cnn

Interesting bit to me is that they can use off the shelf batteries because they remove any power spikes with off the shelf ultracapacitors which control and regulate power flow in and out of the pack. Fewer power spikes at the pack level during acceleration and regen braking means less heat. Less heat means that cheaper off the shelf Li-Ion batteries can be used with greater safety, reliability and lifespan.

AFS says it only costs about $8,600.00 to convert a stock Saturn View Hybrid to a E-REV! It appears that GM is just stalling with this battery pack and Hydrogen crap.

[Nikkoli @ Jan 11th 2008 2:24PM]

Guy at RadioShack (year2010): Yes, do you carry this battery? *shows clerk a battery*
Clerk: Yes, we just started carrying that laptop battery.
Guy: Great! I'll Take 50 of them. I need to change the batteries in my 2008 Saturn View again.

[blackfeather @ Jan 11th 2008 2:08PM]

Is that a "Flex" capacitor?

*lowest ranked*

[macona @ Jan 11th 2008 3:34PM]

Do you mean "Flux Capacitor"

"Flex" Capacitor would have been if Arnold played Dr Emmett Brown.

[blackfeather @ Jan 11th 2008 3:37PM]

Yeah... but the pictures in the gallery show the word "Flex"

it was a pun.

[blackfeather @ Jan 11th 2008 3:39PM]

Yeah... but the pictures in the gallery show the word "Flex"

it was a pun.

[Nikkoli @ Jan 11th 2008 2:21PM]

The reason they don't build them in big cars first is because of aerodynamics. Its easier to get a small car aerodynamically sound than it is a truck. The only way things like this will take off is if it provides something better (in the customer's perception) than our current powertrain systems. By making it aerodynamic it is much easier to get high fuel economy with the inferior early models and start a cash flow that helps them improve the system to where trucks are practical.

A good example is the hybrid. It started in small cars and promised 60-80 MPG. That got the ball rolling initially and now the systems are good enough you can find them in some SUV's. No matter what you may hope about society, nobody bought the early ones for any reason other than the tax breaks and the drastically reduced gas consumption.

[Art @ Jan 11th 2008 3:48PM]

I want to be excited about the Chevy Volt. I really do. Unfortunately I've had a little too much experience with GM vehicles, and I don't trust GM to get it right.

[Chris @ Jan 11th 2008 5:31PM]

sweet ride...one of the better designs out of GM in some years.

[mark @ Jan 11th 2008 6:37PM]

1) Go to library
2) Check out all Popular Science" from 1990-1995
3) Read all the GM fuel cell/Volt/hydrid/electric car articles
4) look at calendar, note today's date

[ZeroCorpse @ Jan 11th 2008 10:26PM]

The problem with the Chevy Volt, or the Tesla Motors offering, is that these are going to be sold and priced as luxury vehicles. This helps no one. If they really cared about switching over to new forms of fuel, they'd price a new electric car in the sub-$15,000 category... Ideally, $10,000 or under, actually.

But the Chevy will hit the market at outrageous prices (although not as outrageous as Tesla's near $100,000 rip-off) and the average consumer will see them and say "Gosh, I want to go electric, but I can't justify paying so much for this when I can get something similar with the old power source for half the price."

If you ask me, the Chevy Volt is being put on the market to convince people they don't want electric cars, and to push the desire for hydrogen-powered cars when they're ready to be mass-produced.

The difference between hydrogen and full electric? With hydrogen there's someone out there making a profit selling you fuel, while with a fully electric car there's the possibility that people will figure out how to charge it themselves, and that's not good for Chevy's business partners.

[Justin @ Jan 14th 2008 10:48AM]

In lieu. *In*. If you were trying for French, fine, but then you have to italicize it.

Or, you know, just say "instead" like most people.

[Mr. Big @ Jan 17th 2008 6:37PM]

It's about time they made a sporty hybrid. Chevy out this volt enthusiast site with pics, videos, specs and more http://www.chevy-volt.net