“A designer is an emerging synthesis of artist, inventor, mechanic, objective economist, and evolutionary strategist.” – Buckminster Fuller The 1973 oil embargo caused a number of changes in industry and society. It caused the (temporary) departure of the muscle cars and created an enthusiasm for small, fuel-efficient cars. It reduced highway speed limits, started • Read More »
Search Results for: plug hybrid
Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell
July 13, 2016 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell | Filed in: .A commercial hydrogen fuel cell plug-in hybrid is finally going to make it to the marketplace! Daimler has agreed to join forces with Mercedes-Benz engineers in order to develop a new, compact fuel cell system that will fit into the conventional engine compartment of the vehicle. The Mercedes-Benz GLC has paved the way for the • Read More »
Will Ethanol + Fuel Cells Take Over the Clean Car Market?
July 7, 2016 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on Will Ethanol + Fuel Cells Take Over the Clean Car Market? | Filed in: Competition.In the past few weeks, two major stories broken about the use of ethanol to power fuel cells. Does this mean that ethanol plus FCEVs will take over the market? On June 14, 2016, Nissan announced that they were developing a Solid Oxide Fuel-Cell (SOFC) vehicle that runs on bio-ethanol (see picture at top). According • Read More »
BMW Predicts FCEVs & BEVs Will Coexist in the Future
May 22, 2016 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 3 Comments | Filed in: Hydrogen Cars.According to Merten Jung, BMW’s head of fuel cell development, in the future FCEVs (fuel cell electric vehicles) and BEVs (battery electric vehicles) will coexist and PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) will fade into the sunset. Mr. Jung believes that PHEVs are simply transitional technology until FCEVs and BEVs take hold in the market. According • Read More »
Where Are All of the Hydrogen Trucks?
April 27, 2016 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 1 Comment | Filed in: Hydrogen Trucks.In the past I’ve written quite a bit about all different sizes and shapes of prototype hydrogen fuel cell and ICE (internal combustion engine) trucks. Since I haven’t talked about this recently I’m thinking now would be a good time to revisit this subject. Before their bankruptcy a couple of years back, Vision Industries produced • Read More »
Will the Toyota Prius Prime Kill the Hydrogen Car?
April 9, 2016 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 1 Comment | Filed in: Competition.In December 2007, I posited the question of whether or not PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) will kill both EV’s and hydrogen cars. My reasoning was that if gasoline-electric PHEVs reach the 125mpg to 150mpg range, then consumers may dive into this type of vehicle leaving EVs and FCEVs in the dust. Why? A big • Read More »
BMW i8 Hydrogen
October 25, 2015 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on BMW i8 Hydrogen | Filed in: .Today, with fuel cell technology now at the point where it can effectively run automobiles, BMW is introducing the i8 Hydrogen car as the first of a new wave of vehicles using this remarkable power source. However, the BMW i8 Hydrogen is not the first hydrogen powered vehicle that was constructed by BMW. Their history • Read More »
Honda FCV
September 13, 2015 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | Comments Off on Honda FCV | Filed in: .The Honda FCV Concept vehicle has made its debut at the North American International Auto Show and a variation of this will go on sale for the 2016 model year. This new Honda model represents a powerful leap forward in technology and is considered by many to be on the leading edge of the hydrogen • Read More »
How the Hydrogen Car Debate Has Changed Over the Past 10 Years
August 11, 2015 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | 1 Comment | Filed in: Critics, Hydrogen Cars.In late 2005, I posted the first pages to my hydrogen cars website and about 6 months later I posted the first pages to the blog. I thought it would be fun and entertaining to take a look back over the past 10-plus years to see how the hydrogen car debate has changed. Back in • Read More »
VW Space Up Blue
August 7, 2015 | By Hydro Kevin Kantola | No Comments | Filed in: .VW Space Up Blue A year ago, I had talked about Volkswagen developing a high temperature Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell. That high temperature fuel cell (HT-FC) is finally here and is 30-percent smaller than the smallest fuel cell on the market. 2007 VW Space Up Blue The company is using this new fuel cell in • Read More »