General Motors is now 1 million miles into its fuel cell experiment and company officials say having everyday people drive a test fleet of pollution-free cars has convinced them they are on the right track.
The automaker on Friday said it passed the 1 million-miles-driven mark in its fuel cell Chevrolet Equinox vehicles, with about 5,000 people rotating in and out of more than 100 cars over the past 25 months.
“They’ll tell you that after the first week, they pretty much forget it’s a fuel cell car, which indicates to us that we have accomplished our goal of making the fuel cell transparent to the consumer,” said Daniel O’Connell, director of fuel cell commercialization at GM’s research and development offices in Honeoye Falls, near Rochester, N.Y.
“They get in the car and drive it like they’ve always driven their cars, and that really tells me that fuel cells are closer than most people would believe,” he said.
#6 has a valid point. This isn’t much and I don’t want to spend more than I save buying fuel cells. Then of course the massive energy was in converting energy to hydrogen is stupid.
The Auto Industry always seems to promote pumped fuel vehicles as the only viable alternatives. And these always end up relying on a station to pump it in, and that’s something that retains the current model of fuel sales and distribution. IOW, it has no price controls or regulation. Whereas electric vehicles are “fueled” anywhere there is a plug. And usually via a price regulated power utility (unless Enron screwed it up). The auto industry, is too buddy-buddy with the oil industry. Who will own anything else that gets pumped into cars, the second it’s invented. And price it according to their greed. Electric cars is what threatens this, more than anything else. So that’s why they’re the last thing the Auto Industry wants to make.
I seriously doubt that these fuel cell vehicles hold enough liquid or gaseous hydrogen, to compete with the range of current all electric cars, between fill ups. In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if this car owners (leasers) had a refueling service. That drops by to top off their car’s hydrogen supply. The same way Home Heating Oil services refill homes’ tanks.
Expecting these fuel cell car drivers to find the one service station in their area, that carries hydrogen. Seems asking a bit much. Either they only cherry picked test drivers, who lived anywhere near such a facility. Or they’re bring the fuel to them, and not disclosing this detail. It can’t be as “convenient” to refuel a hydrogen tank, versus a gasoline tank, as they’re making it out to be. But I’m sure an NDA tells them not to mention the pre-arranged refueling service.
I’m sure Fred Flintstone forgot he uses his feet to power his car after about a week also!
if GM can really sell it and create the refueling / recharging stations easy and convenient they might find a new niche. And honestly that would really make Gm a contender again