Between 1807 and 1986 was a time of great development for hydrogen
cars. From the first Rivaz car designed by Francois Isaac de Rivaz
of Switzerland to the Hippomobile to the GM Electrovan to several
models designed by Musashi, hydrogen vehicles grew by leaps and
bounds over these years.
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In 1986, the Musashi 7 was exhibited
a the Vancouver Transportation EXPO. The Musashi 7 is a small
truck with a four-stroke turbocharged engine that uses liquid
hydrogen for propulsion. |
| 1984 |
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In 1984, the Mercedes Daimler Benz
TN 310 Van was demonstrated in Berlin, Germany. The 10-passenger
Mercedes Daimler Benz TN 310 Van uses an internal combustion
engine with compressed hydrogen to deliver 75 kw at 5600 rpm.
The TN 310 also uses metal hydride storage. |
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In 1984, the Mercedes 280 TE was
demonstrated by Daimler-Benz, Aral, Dornier, Mannesmann. The
Mercedes 280 TE was a dual-fuel vehicle capable of running
on either gasoline or compressed hydrogen gas in its internal
combustion engine. The Mercedes 280 TE was capable of delivering
120 kw at 5500 rpm. |
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In 1984, the Musashi 6 was exhibited
at the WHEC 5. The Musashi 6 is a small passenger car with
a four-stroke turbocharged engine that runs on liquid hydrogen.
In addition, the Musashi 6 uses in-cylinder injection and
hot surface ignition. |
| 1982 |
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In 1982, the Musashi 5 is a white,
two-door passenger car with a two-stroke engine that uses
liquid hydrogen for propulsion. The Musashi 5 uses in-cylinder
injection and was first exhibited at the WHEC 4. |
| 1980 |
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In 1980, the Musashi 4 is a blue
passenger car with a 2-stroke engine that uses liquid hydrogen
for propulsion. The Musashi 4 uses in-cylinder injection and
was first exhibited at WHEC 3. |
| 1979 |
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In 1979, the BMW 520h is a four-door
passenger dual fuel vehicle that can run on either gasoline
or liquid hydrogen. The BMW 520h used super-insulated cryogenic
tanks for the hydrogen and was equipped with a 3.5-liter direct
injection engine. |
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In 1979, Russia unveiled its Kvant-RAF
(Riga Bus Plant) H2 van that contained a 12 kw alkaline fuel
cell and ran on hydrogen. Because of intense political upheaval
at this time in Russia, the Kvant-RAF H2 van was never further
developed. |
| 1978 |
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In 1978, the H2-4 Chevy
was presented to Jack Nicholson on a CBS special news report.
The H2-4 Chevy used an modified internal combustion engine
to run on hydrogen gas. Nicholson sniffed the tailpipe of
the H2-4 Chevy and fogged his glasses to show how clean-burning
this vehicle was emitting only steam. |
| 1977 |
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In 1977, the Musashi
3 is a two-door passenger car with as scoop hood that uses
a two-stroke engine and liquid hydrogen for propulsion. The
Musashi 3 uses spark ignition and in-cylinder injection. |
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In 1977, Roger Billings
designed a hydrogen-powered Cadillac Seville, which ran in
President Jimmy Carter's inaugural parade. The Seville was
a dual fuel vehicle able to use either hydrogen or gasoline
to extend the range of the automobile. The hydrogen Cadillac
was also equipped with a state of the art metal hydride tank. |
| 1976 |
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In 1976, Roger Billings
Provo-Orem bus demonstrated the power of metal hydride storage
of hydrogen. The 21-passenger public transit bus made a 13-mile
run in Utah, proving the vehicle could handle the higher weights
of the storage vessels and that even in stop and go driving
conditions the vehicle was 80-percent more efficient that
gasoline-powered vehicles. |
| 1975 |
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In 1975, the Musashi
2 was a passenger car that ran in the SEED Rally in the USA.
The Musashi 2 used a four-stroke engine with manifold injection
and ran on liquid hydrogen for propulsion. |
| 1974 |
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In 1974, the Musashi 1 was unveiled
as the first Japanese hydrogen-fueled vehicle. Created by
the Musashi Institute of Technology in Tokyo, the Musashi
1 used a 4-stroke engine with homogeneous charge and high
pressure hydrogen to power the vehicle. |
| 1972 |
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In 1972, the Brigham Young Superbeetle,
developed by Roger Billings team, won first place for emissions
in the Urban Vehicle Design Competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Using the water induction method to reduce nitric oxide the
hydrogen-powered Volkswagen actually cleaned the ambient air
and was given a negative number for unburned hydrocarbons
and carbon monoxide. |
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The 1972 Gremlin was developed
by faculty and students as UCLA in Los Angeles. The vehicle
carried a 351 cubin inch Ford Boss engine and had zero tailpipe
emissions. This vehicle has also made the claim to winning
the 1972 Urban Vehicle Design Competition as did the Roger
Billings vehicle pictured above. |
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| 1970 |
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In 1970, the K. Kordesch passenger car was built by Karl
Kordesch and was based upon an Austin A 40. The K. Kordesch
was a fuel cell hybrid car using seven lead acid batteries
and a 6 kw Union Carbide alkaline fuel cell powered by hydrogen
gas. Compressed hydrogen gas was contained in six tanks
strapped to the top of the car and the K. Kordesch ran on
public roads for three years. The total power output for
the K. Kordesch was 150 kw making it comparable to other
cars on the road at that time.
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| 1967 |
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The 1966 General Motors Electrovan
is the first hydrogen fuel cell car of record. The GM Electrovan
was based on the 1966 GMC Handivan and carried all of the
fuel cell parts and hydrogen storage tanks in the back of
the van. The 1966 GM Electrovan was powered by a 5 kw Union
Carbide fuel cell and the vehicle had a range of 120 miles,
though it was only driven on company property. |
| 1966 |
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In 1966, Roger Billings used a
Model A Ford donated by his father and converted it to run
on hydrogen. Two compressed hydrogen cylinders where in the
back of the vehicle and since the vehicle's engine had an
L-shaped head, backfiring was not a problem. Billings used
the Model A as part of a high school science fair project. |
| 1959 |
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The 1959 Allis-Chalmers farm tractor,
developed by Harry Karl Ihrig was demonstrated in Milwaukee
as the first fuel cell vehicle in history. The tractor contained
1,008 small alkaline fuel cells that provided 15 kw of energy,
enough to help the tractor pull 3,000 lbs. in demonstrations.
The Allis-Chalmers fuel cell tractor is now in the Smithsonian
Institute. |
| 1941 |
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The 1941 GAZ-AA truck was created
out of necessity by Mr. Boris Shelishch. During WWII, the
Nazis had surrounded Leningrad, Russia and cut off supplies.
Petroleum was running low. So, military technician Boris Shelishch
stepped in an converted a GAZ-AA truck to run on hydrogen
gas. After receiving orders from top commanders, Boris Shelishch
and his crew were able to convert 200 GAZ-AA trucks in 10
days to run on hydrogen and demonstrated that they burned
cleaner and longer than those that had run on petrol |
| 1933 |
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In 1933, the Norsk Hydro power
company converted one of their small trucks to run on hydrogen
gas. The Norsk Hydro truck contained an onboard ammonia reformer
to extract hydrogen and run it through its internal combustion
engine. |
| 1860 |
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In 1860, Etienne Lenoir of France invented the 1-cylinder,
2-stroke Hippomobile. The Lenoir Hippomobile was so named
because it received its fuel by electrolyzing water and
running the hydrogen through the small horizontal engine.
The Hippomobile engine ran on "natural cycles"
with an uptake of fuel mixture and a down stroke combusting
the exhausted fuel.
Later, Lenoir adapted the engine for various gases such
as coal gas. Around 350-400 of the Lenoir gas motors were
built and sold.
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| 1807 |
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In 1807 Francois Isaac de Rivaz of Switzerland designed
the first internal combustion engine that ran inside the
first automobile. This first experimental prototype was
powered by hydrogen gas and oxygen. The Rivaz car stored
compressed hydrogen gas in a balloon and it had an electrical
Volta cell ignition.
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