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Tiny 'engine' turns natural gas into hydrogen
Here's the dilemma with hydrogen: fueling your car with the stuff is faster than charging an EV, but making and distributing it is inefficient and polluting. A team from the Georgia Institute of Technology has created a four-stroke "engine" that converts natural gas (methane) into hydrogen from just about anywhere, while capturing the CO2. It could one day hook up to your natural gas line, letting you fuel your car from home in a non-polluting way like you can with an EV -- pleasing both green tech boosters and oil companies.
Hyundai's next fuel cell SUVs have a reported range of 348 miles
Hyundai's next line of fuel cell SUVs will have a range of 348 miles, besting the current Hyundai Tucson by 30 percent, according to Nikkei. Hyundai reportedly plans to roll out its second generation of fuel cell SUVs in January 2018.
Toyota confirms it will develop electric vehicles
Toyota's still adamant that it's going to get the world hooked on hydrogen-powered cars in our (hopefully) green future. But in the meantime, it's decided to dive head-first into building its first all-electric vehicle to take on Tesla. The carmaker has announced that it's launching a "virtual" company to examine and develop EVs. The business will have four employees, each one from a different part of the Toyota Group's various subsidiaries and suppliers.
Royal Caribbean uses fuel cells to power cleaner cruise ships
It's not just ground-based transportation that could stand to benefit from clean-running fuel cells. Cruise ship operator Royal Caribbean has revealed that it's developing a new class of ship, the Icon, that will run on liquified natural gas fuel cells. The move would dramatically reduce the harmful emissions from the vessels (the company hints they'd output nothing more than water) without compromising on reliability or safety. Boats wouldn't be stuck if they have to dock somewhere which can't offer natural gas, either, as they could rely on distillate gas in a pinch.
Chevy truck brings hydrogen fuel cells to the military
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles aren't just for eco-conscious civilian drivers. Chevy has unveiled the Colorado ZH2, an experimental truck designed to test the feasibility of fuel cells in the military. Its powerplant is much quieter and cooler-running than a conventional gas motor, making it ideal for special ops where conventional trucks would blow your cover. However, its real specialty doesn't involve driving at all -- you can use the modular cell to power devices outside the truck with up to 25kW of continuous electricity. A squad could run equipment while camped out in mid-mission, for example.
Toyota is teaching teens how to build fuel-cell cars
Toyota has launched a new project to teach high school students how to build fuel cell cars. Well, OK, the company is teaching them how to build small, remote-controlled fuel cell cars, but it's hoping that's enough to ignite their interest in the technology. The automaker's Hydrogen Horizon Automotive Challenge isn't a full-blown, multi-year program like the drone and robotics course offered at one Japanese high school. But it will teach teens about climate change and the importance of alternative energy for a whole semester.
Toyota's car of the future drives like a Camry
The Toyota Mirai looks like it's ready to swallow you whole. From the front, the hydrogen fuel-cell car has the aggressive stance of a bulldog. But as you circle the vehicle, the styling quickly softens to clean lines that lead to a rear end that would blend in among a sea of cars trapped in traffic. It's the future of driving (one version of it, anyway), but as I found after a recent test drive, it's also ready to hit the freeway without much fanfare.
Nissan's bio-ethanol fuel cell would lower the cost of clean cars
Hydrogen fuel cell cars are eco-friendly, but they come at a steep cost: hydrogen is normally expensive to make and store. Nissan, however, thinks it has a solution. It's developing a fuel cell system that will use bio-ethanol (generated from crops like corn and sugarcane) as a hydrogen source when it reaches vehicles in 2020. The technology combines the transformed bio-ethanol with air to power an electric motor. You're theoretically getting a "carbon-neutral" car with much more range than a pure EV -- Nissan is aiming for 497 miles on a tank where even the best Tesla Model S runs out of power at 294 miles. And since you wouldn't need to store hydrogen, you wouldn't need either giant tanks inside cars or special fuel stations.
New fuel cell tech could power phones for a week
No matter how efficient our devices get in terms of power usage, there's really only so much manufacturers can do given the limitations of the energy source: lithium-ion batteries. But researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea have designed what they're calling a miniaturized solid oxide fuel cell that could replace current battery tech in everything from mobile devices to drones. What's more, the tech could even be scaled up for larger applications including electric vehicles.
Honda's hydrogen car costs $500 a month, if you can find one
Hydrogen vehicle technology still faces many technical hurdles, but there's a slight chance early adopters can buy Honda's latest model. The company revealed that it will start selling the Clarity Fuel Cell sedan by the end of the year for around $60,000, though it will only be available under a retail lease for "under $500." That's the same price and terms as for Toyota's Mirai and Hyundai's Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles. However, the pool of potential buyers will be small. The vehicles will only be offered in Los Angeles and Orange counties, the San Francisco Bay area and Sacramento.
Rowing robot powers itself by gulping dirty water
One day, you might see robots that not only survive in hazardous environments, but thrive in them. University of Bristol researchers have built Row-bot, a swimming robot that powers itself by feeding on dirty water. Its paddle both propels it forward and helps its microbial fuel cell gulp down the nutrients it needs to generate electricity. This robot might never need refueling so long as it's wading through unpleasant seas, whether they're full of algae or oil.
Toyota's hydrogen concept car could power your concept home
While we're stuck working out the mpg of a practical family sedan, Toyota's off playing with our dreams (or nightmares) with cars like the above. The latest round of concepts from the Japanese auto-maker are being shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, and include a diminutive, sporty-looking Scion S-FR (reverse-world FR-S?), the hot rod-esque Kikai and the hyper-futuristic FCV Plus (pictured).
Nanowires help produce hydrogen fuel using sunlight
You ideally want to produce clean hydrogen fuel using clean sources, and Dutch researchers have taken a big step toward making that a practical reality. They've built a solar cell that uses a grid of gallium phosphide nanowires to make hydrogen gas from water. The approach gets a useful yield of about 2.9 percent in lab tests. That may not sound like much, but it's about 10 times more effective than previous techniques and uses 10,000 times less exotic material.
Hydrogen-powered drone will fly for hours at a time
Even the nicer drones you can buy typically last for just minutes in the air, which isn't much help if you're delivering packages or shooting movies. Horizon Unmanned Systems (HUS) thinks it has a solution, however: hydrogen power. Its recently unveiled Hycopter drone runs on a lightweight hydrogen fuel cell that should deliver up to 4 hours of flight time unloaded, and 2.5 hours when it's carrying 2.2 pounds of cargo. That still may not sound like much, but it makes long-distance flights practical -- it's the difference between flying across the city and staying within the neighborhood. HUS won't even fly the Hycopter's prototype until later this year, but patience could well pay off if you're tired of piloting robotic aircraft in half-hour bursts.
Toyota's hydrogen car to sell on just eight lots come October
Toyota's new hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle (FCV), dubbed the Mirai, will be hitting dealer lots this October...all eight of them. The car company announced today that only select lots throughout California will actually be taking stock based on their previous advanced technology vehicle sales as well as the relative development of hydrogen infrastructure in their areas. The Mirai starts at $57,500, though with state and federal tax credits you're looking closer to $45,000 (plus free hydrogen for "up to three years"). You can check one out in person at San Francisco Toyota, Roseville Toyota, Stevens Creek Toyota, Toyota of Sunnyvale, Longo Toyota, Toyota Santa Monica, Toyota of Orange and Tustin Toyota. The company plans to produce just 200 units to start though it hopes to sell as many as 3,000 Mirai by the end of 2017.
NASCAR's first hydrogen-powered pace car hits the track
NASCAR may be dominated by gas-guzzling racers, but its pace car this weekend is decidedly kinder to the environment. The motorsport league's Sprint Cup race in Richmond on the 26th (delayed from the 25th due to rain) has Toyota's hydrogen-powered Mirai as its pace car -- the first time a fuel cell car has had that distinction at a NASCAR event. This is largely a publicity stunt to build up hype for the Mirai's Californian launch later this year, but it shows that hydrogen cars have the performance needed to keep up with stock cars during yellow flags. The real challenge will be getting the actual competitors to go green. While there have been hydrogen-fueled race cars before, the odds are that NASCAR and its fans aren't eager to abandon roaring V8s any time soon.
Toyota reportedly working on a hydrogen-fueled Lexus limo
Toyota's first hydrogen car hasn't even gone on sale yet here in the US, and already we're hearing rumors about a follow-up vehicle. According to the Australian website Motoring, the Japanese auto giant is planning on taking the same fuel cell system it used in its mid-range Mirai sedan, and putting it into a higher-end Lexus LS limousine. For the most part, then, the new vehicle will make use of the same technology, though Toyota will apparently have to do some retro-fitting in order to make it work inside the current Lexus LS. (Unlike the LS, the Mirai was built from scratch as a hydrogen car.) If Motoring's report is correct, the new Lexus will have a fuel cell under the front seat, with the hydrogen tanks located behind the rear seat. Also, despite the fact that the LS wasn't originally designed as a hydrogen vehicle, it will reportedly offer nearly the same range as Toyota's existing FCEV: 239 miles, versus 300 on the Mirai. No word yet on price or whether this report is even true. And we suspect it could be a while before anyone sets the record straight -- the hydrogen-fueled Lexus LS is rumored to launch "by 2017," up to two years from now.
Jet-fueled electronics are coming
Fuel cells may be a practical reality, but there aren't many choices for the fuel itself -- you usually have to rely on hydrogen, which dictates where and how those cells work. The University of Utah may have a clever alternative in store, however. Its researchers have developed a cell that runs on JP-8, a jet fuel used by American warplanes in harsh climates. The cell uses enzymes to turn propellant into electricity without requiring lots of heat or a perfectly clean mixture; it works at room temperatures even when there's sulfur in the mix, making it far more useful than previous attempts at JP-8 cells.
Japan's developing an eco-friendly patrol submarine
These days, data centers, portable USB battery chargers and all sorts of transportation are going green thanks to fuel cell technology. Now you can add submersibles to that list: Japan is developing a 33-foot-long submarine that runs off emissions-free energy. Japanese Defense Ministry officials told AFP that the finalized tech is about five years out, but they estimate the $25 million unmanned sub (or UUV) will be capable of cruising deep waters for an entire month on a single charge. Sure, 30 days seems pale in comparison to the 50-year core life of the nuclear-powered USS Nautilus, but electro-chemical energy is far cleaner, and can be much cheaper in the long run. This driverless U-boat also won't have any artillery on board. According to a ministry official, "The UUV is purely for patrolling -- it's not a military weapon," so there's no need to worry about underwater combat drones -- at least, for now.
Research breakthrough could make hydrogen gas an even better green fuel
Toyota might be bringing a commercial hydrogen fuel cell car to roads in 2015, but the fuel still has a few drawbacks -- the major ones being storing and transporting the gas itself. Research from the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) reckons they can solve it using ammonia, which is more secure and less volatile, as the hydrogen delivery method. "Cracking" ammonia offers up one part nitrogen and three parts hydrogen and while the catalysts that do this are typically pricey precious metals, this new research uses two chemical processes at the same time, offering the same results at a much lower cost. According to the research team leader, Professor Bill David: "Our approach is as effective as the best current catalysts but the active material, sodium amide, costs pennies to produce. We can produce hydrogen from ammonia 'on demand' effectively and affordably."
