FCV development trends and challenges

Automotive industry taking steps towards a hydrogen society

2016/05/19

Summary

Honda FCV Clarity Fuel Cell

Toyota Mirai

Summary

Are fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) the solution to environmental and energy challenges that motorized society is facing? Companies such as Ballard, Daimler, and General Motors (GM), have conducted research on FCVs from many years back. Previously, GM sent researchers to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is known for developing nuclear weaponry, to conduct research on fuel cells as part of a national project. Fuel cell powertrains replace the internal combustion engine (ICE), which is the heart of the vehicle, and utilize the electricity generated when hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water to power the drive motor. In rocket science, fuel cells have been researched and put into use by the military and space industries, but there are many challenges remaining that need to be overcome to apply this technology to vehicles for mass consumption. Will fuel cells come into wide use around the world in the same way the Global Positioning System (GPS) did in mobile phones and navigation systems? The debate on which comes first, cars or infrastructure, applies not only to electric vehicles (EVs) but also to FCVs. This report will summarize the trends and challenges of FCV development.

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