Archives: Fuel Cells

The Swedish government has decided to invest almost $9 million USD into Powercell Sweden AB in which Volvo has a 40-percent stake. The investment will create 100 new jobs over the next 3 years. According to Per Wassén, Chairman of Powercell, “We are busy staffing the company and have received more than 1,000 highly qualified • Read More »

General Motors, while downsizing its company in general, has decided also to downsize its next generation of fuel cell system by 220 pounds. The 5th generation fuel cell stack, GM says will be ready for prime time (production status) by 2015, which is the same time frame several other hydrogen car manufacturers have given for • Read More »

EETV conducted an OnPoint interview with Robert Rose, Executive Director of the US Fuel Cell Council (USFCC) concerning Congress reinstating the budget cuts to hydrogen cars and fuel cell research from the Department of Energy (DOE) budget earlier this year. Mr. Rose comments on Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s assertion that hydrogen cars are not a • Read More »

I’ve talked before about how we need to reduce the amount of platinum used in fuel cells in order to bring down the price and make them more cost effective. I’ve also talked about researchers working on platinum-free fuel cells, especially if they can retain the power and longevity of fuel cells using platinum. Well, • Read More »

Even though funding from the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) for hydrogen research is like a ping pong ball now days, one thing is for certain: hydrogen and fuel cells are still a growth industry. Whether or not the U. S. government intends to stimulate the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors, this sector will • Read More »

While the Obama Administration and Department of Energy (DOE) have decided to slash the hydrogen research budget by 60-percent and zero out funding for hydrogen vehicles, the U. S. Department of Defense (DoD) has other plans. The DoD has recently awarded Plug Power Incorporated a $1.5 million contract to produce hydrogen-powered forklifts for the defense • Read More »

Platinum is expensive and that’s a fact. That is why many fuel cell manufacturers are trying to use nickel or other metal alternatives for fuel cells that run automobiles. The only problem is that these platinum-free fuel cells have only been mildly successful. Longevity and efficiency have suffered. The other alternative is to build fuel • Read More »

For many years now, electric vehicle advocates and hydrogen car enthusiasts have been at each other’s throats in regard to which alternative vehicle will be given the nod by the public at large. This week President Obama gave a wink and a smile to the EV corner as he pulled the rug out from under • Read More »

Researchers in Canada and Japan are working on two different methods to eliminate expensive platinum from fuel cells bringing down the costs of future hydrogen cars as much as $5,000. Researchers in California, on the other hand, are using nanotechnology to greatly reduce the amount of platinum needed in hydrogen fuel cells. All of the • Read More »

In the past I’ve talked about the need to both reduce and eliminate the need for platinum in fuel cells in order for hydrogen cars and vehicles to become economically viable. It makes no sense to pour a million or so hydrogen cars on the road only to be hit with a worldwide shortage of • Read More »