GM fuel-cell prototype faces big test

General Motors is putting celebrities, public officials, corporate honchos and average American families in the driver's seats of more than 100 prototype vehicles, giving them a crucial role in shaping the future of fuel-cell technology.

"Drivers will provide regular, candid feedback about their use of the vehicle in their daily lives, the vehicle's performance and their personal preferences, which is key in defining our product and market introduction plans for fuel-cell electric vehicles," said Ed Peper, general manager of GM's Chevrolet division.

More than half the electric vehicles with on-board hydrogen tanks will be distributed in the Los Angeles area, and others will be deployed in New York and Washington, D.C. A small number will be tested overseas.

In a savvy marketing move, GM is going to separately announce the names of high-profile people and average Americans who are lining up to get behind the wheel of its Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, a sport-utility vehicle that bears a striking resemblance to its gas-powered Equinox sibling.

The four-door, four-passenger GM prototype offers the same standard features as the gas-powered Equinox: air bags, anti-lock brakes, a stability control system, cruise control and the OnStar communications system.

The Equinox Fuel Cell can go from 0 to 60 miles an hour in 12 seconds and has a top speed of about 100 miles an hour, according to GM. Its range is about 150 miles per fill-up, roughly 9 pounds of hydrogen.

Automakers worldwide are developing fuel cell vehicles in an effort to reduce the impact of auto emissions on the environment and to limit the use of precious natural resources.

"We're making progress on the development of this technology," said Julie Beamer, director of fuel cell commercialization for GM. " ... What we learn ... will help us further develop this technology. But it's more than the technology. We want to educate the public and give consumers confidence about these vehicles."

Many consumers fear that hydrogen-fueled vehicles are more likely to explode. In reality, hydrogen is not as volatile as gasoline, and GM's Equinox Fuel Cell has no internal-combustion process. Engineers designed major systems of the Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle to shut down in the event of a crash and inserted multiple sensors to detect hydrogen leaks.

In tests, the vehicle's carbon fiber-wrapped hydrogen tanks were nearly impossible to puncture. Still, the automaker has briefed emergency first responders in the test markets on the Equinox Fuel Cell's systems.

"Hydrogen needs to be respected, not feared," Beamer said.

Although the Equinox Fuel Cell will look a lot like the typical sport-utility vehicle, its powertrain components display a sharp departure from any motor vehicle. It has a fuel cell to mix hydrogen with oxygen to create the electricity needed to operate the vehicle. The fuel-cell system fits within the space of a conventional engine compartment.

A nickel metal hydride battery pack, which stores energy from a regenerative braking system, sits under the floor in the middle of the vehicle.

Three compressed hydrogen storage tanks made of carbon fiber and pressurized to 10,000 pounds per square inch are under the rear seats and cargo area.

GM officials said the technology on the Equinox Fuel Cell was developed in part by specialists with the West Sacramento-based California Fuel Cell Partnership. The 31 partners – automakers, energy providers, fuel cell technology companies and government agencies, among others – have put scores of fuel cell vehicles on California roads since 1999.

GM has billed "Project Driveway" as the "largest market test of fuel cell vehicles of its kind." The congested markets of Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., were chosen because they have high potential for future fuel-cell vehicle use and have facilities to refuel and service hydrogen-fueled vehicles.

Los Angeles also is a critical testing spot because California is far and away the nation's largest market for sales of gas-electric hybrid vehicles. California residents buy about 30 percent of all hybrid vehicles sold in the United States, according to Art Spinella, president of Oregon's CNW Marketing Research, which tracks auto industry trends nationwide.

Vehicle recipients will have access to hydrogen refueling stations in their respective metropolitan markets. They also will be assigned a "driver relationship manager" who will be available to provide information and assistance.

Project Driveway will collect feedback over three years. GM has set no specific timetable for mass-producing electrics.

"What we learn will directly influence future electrically driven vehicle generations and ultimate market acceptance," said Dan Hancock, GM Powertrain vice president, global engineering.

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