Hydrogen and fuel cell automobiles

Hydrogen and fuel cell automobiles

The primary hydrogen gas cell vehicles should not anticipated to reach until the earliest of 2014, that’s when Mercedes-Benz says it will likely be able to introduce its B-Class F-Cell to the market. Different automobile makers similar to Toyota and Hyundai-Kia are targeting to begin production of hydrogen models from 2015 onwards.

Honda was the primary to supply begin limited manufacturing of a highway-authorized hydrogen mannequin, within the type of the FCX Readability, which it began leasing to a small number of customers in the US and Japan from 2008. The firm continues to explore the potential of producing extra hydrogen models, however has but to make any firm commitment. Of course we regularly speak of gasoline cell vehicles working on hydrogen but that’s not all they'll run on. Fuel cells merely covert chemical power from a fuel into electrical energy by means of the process of oxidisation, that gasoline may very well be methane, ethanol or even strange petrol, as recommended by the College of Maryland (see story). Recently, Daihatsu revealed that it is engaged on a barely totally different take on the hydrogen gas cell automobile, by exploring using hydrazine hydrate; a liquid type of hydrogen fuel which would be simpler to move and store than compressed hydrogen (see story).

As there are no models obtainable but, there isn’t any infrastructure in the UK to support using these vehicles. Nevertheless it appears the automobile makers are confident that that this wil come in the event that they stride ahead with their plans. A Toyota govt just lately proclaimed that the brand will probably be producing tens of hundreds of fuel cell vehicles per yr by 2020 (see story). So it looks like hydrogen gas cell automobiles are positively one to look at over the following few years.

Et al
In fact this information is under no circumstances complete, but hopefully we’ve given offered an outline of the most important movers and shakers within the various fuel discipline this 12 months and within the subsequent couple of years to follow. With plug-in hybrids and vary-prolonged models now joining the hybrid and electric fashions already in the marketplace, and hydrogen automobiles set to comply with, 2012 is definitely going to be an essential 12 months for this burgeoning field.

Source : http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/04/24/the-2012-guide-to-alternative-fuel-vehicles-the-green-piece/

Compressed Natural Fuel

Compressed Natural Fuel (CNG) and LPG

Vehicles able to run on compressed natural gasoline (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Fuel (LPG-or Autogas as additionally it is know) will not be broadly available on the UK market. Many carmakers give attention to producing CNG and LPG for different markets corresponding to components of Asia, where they're already proving popular.

In the US, Honda has the Civic GX CNG mannequin as the US market seems extra focused on exploring other liquid alternatives to gasoline than dashing in the direction of electric fashions or diesels. Stateside there may be additionally higher use of CNG vans too, equivalent to Ford Transit Join CNG and the Chevrolet Specific CNG, which have been becoming a member of fleets across the country.

Back in Europe, manufacturers corresponding to Opel do provide LPG automobiles on request, with many of its models out there with a pre-registration conversion to LPG (see extra on that here).
Aside from that, its largely a retrofit market that may convert your car to run on CNG or LPG.
Though often neglected CNG and LPG fuels supply cleaner operation than petrol, but it’s a market that’s remaining area of interest here within the UK.

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Source : http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/04/24/the-2012-guide-to-alternative-fuel-vehicles-the-green-piece/