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Biodiesel An Industry Poised for Growth
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Biodiesel Plan Spans Border
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Biofuel Cells To Replace Rechargeable Batteries
Biofuels As A Source Of Energy
Biofuels Fill Your Tank With Natures Goodness
Biofuels For Transport
Biological Ways Of Producing Ethanol
Cool Fuel Cells
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Ethanol Based Biodiesel
Fill Er Up Full Of Beans
From Fuel To Pure Water
Fuel Alcohol From Pea Starch
Fuel Cell Benefits
Fuel Cell Cars
Fuel Cell Challenges
Fuel Cell Efficiency
Fuel Cell History
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Fuel Cell Vehicles General Information
Grass Hailed As Potential Source Of Clean Energy
How They Work Hydrogen Sources
Hybrid Electric And Fuel Cell Vehicles
Hydrogen Challenges
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Hydrogen Overview
Investigating The Greenness Of Biobased Products
Is There A Green Car in Your Future
Making Biodiesel Fuel at Home
RP To Mass Produce Sugar Sorghum For Bio Fuel
Running On Vegetables
Some Alcohol Fuels Facts
The Alcohols Ethanol And Methanol
Veggie Fuels Feed Bottom Line
What Is A Fuel Cell

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Fuel Cell Vehicles General Information

Fuel Cell Vehicles General Information

This emerging technology has the potential to significantly reduce energy use and harmful emissions, as well as our dependence on foreign oil. FCVs will have other benefits as well.

A Radical Departure

FCVs represent a radical departure from vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines. Like battery-electric vehicles, FCVs are propelled by electric motors. But while battery electric vehicles use electricity from an external source (and store it in a battery), FCVs create their own electricity. Fuel cells onboard the vehicle create electricity through a chemical process using hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air.

FCVs can be fueled with pure hydrogen gas stored onboard in high-pressure tanks. They also can be fueled with hydrogen-rich fuels; such as methanol, natural gas, or even gasoline; but these fuels must first be converted into hydrogen gas by an onboard device called a "reformer."

FCVs fueled with pure hydrogen emit no pollutants; only water and heat; while those using hydrogen-rich fuels and a reformer produce only small amounts of air pollutants. In addition, FCVs can be twice as efficient as similarly sized conventional vehicles and may also incorporate other advanced technologies to increase efficiency.

Meeting Challenges Together

Photo: FCV design model.Before FCVs make it to your local auto dealer, significant research and development is required to reduce cost and improve performance. We must also find effective and efficient ways to produce and store hydrogen and other fuels.

Automakers, fuel cell developers, component suppliers, government agencies, and others are working hard to accelerate the introduction of FCVs. Partnerships such as the DOE-led FreedomCAR initiative and the California Fuel Cell Partnership have been formed to encourage private companies and government agencies to work together to move these vehicles toward commercialization.

FreedomCAR

Quote: "FreedomCar isn't an automobile, it's a new approach to powering the cars of the future...The gas-guzzler will be a thing of the past." Spencer Abraham, Secretary of Energy (January 9, 2002)FreedomCAR is a new cooperative research effort between the DOE and the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (Ford, General Motors, and DaimlerChrysler) formed to promote research into advanced automotive technologies, such as FCVs, that may dramatically reduce oil consumption and environmental impacts. FreedomCAR's goal is the development of cars and trucks that are:

* Cheaper to operate
* Pollution-free
* Competitively priced
* Free from imported oil