October 22nd, 2008 · 1 Comment

First of all, the fuel cell stacks – the gizmo that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity – are very expensive to make. So expensive that Vann won’t say how expensive. So expensive that the $600-a-month lease payment for the Honda FCX Clarity includes special collision insurance provided by Honda.

And while the old-fashioned engine routinely does it’s job for 100,000 miles, 200,000 miles and more, the life of a fuel cell stack is about 50,000 miles.

“We know that’s not good enough for retail,” says Vann.

The biggest hurdle is – quick, name your closest hydrogen retailer – the lack of a fueling station network.

The GM test cars are given to drivers in Westchester County, NY, Washington, D.C., and southern California, places where there are universities and vehicle fleet centers with hydrogen fueling stations.

It’s the classic chicken-or-the-egg standoff. No one is going to buy a hydrogen-fueled car if they can’t conveniently fill up and no one is going to spend the estimated $15 billion it would take to build a network in the top 100 markets if there aren’t a lot of paying customers.

Honda is testing a home-based refueling unit that hooks up to a home’s natural gas line and produces hydrogen for vehicle refueling, heat for domestic hot water use and electricity for the home.

Other carmakers, as you might expect, have their own fuel cell projects in gear. Chrysler earlier this year unveiled the ecoVoyager concept car, an electric car powered primarily by a lithium-ion battery pack with a range of 40 miles. A small hydrogen fuel cell is designed to extend the range to 300 miles. Nissan in August announced development of a more powerful and, perhaps more importantly, less costly new fuel cell stack. The new fuel stack uses half the platinum and costs more than a third less to build.

Ford has a hydrogen fuel cell test fleet. A Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle – a modified Highlander – traveled more than 300 miles before refueling last fall in a 2,300 mile trek from Fairbanks to Vancouver.

When FCVs make it to dealers, there will be at least one buyer.

“If I was able to buy one,” say Drukker, who lives in Westchester County, “I’d do so.”

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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