|
Friday, August
18, 2006
Plug-in
hybrid vehicles are ideal for fuel cell development
For years I have been promoting hybrids, not just to reduce foreign oil dependency or to clean the environment, but to push the evolution of the automobile.
While skeptics have cited costs and
the real world fuel economy of some hybrids, especially
so-called performance hybrids, I've cited the potential of hybrid
technology, even in performance hybrids such as the Lexus
RX400h.
On the other
hand, for
years GM mocked Toyota's hybrid development, as Toyota
claimed that hybrid cars were not just the platform for today's gasoline cars, but the platform for diesel, ethanol or even hydrogen. More important,
Toyota announced, hybrids were also the ideal platform for
fuel cell vehicles.
Consequently, buying one of today's hybrid
cars is an investment in tomorrow's fuel cell hybrid
vehicles - if you believe Toyota.
Apparently,
not many did.
While, GM has been hyping fuel cell vehicles for
decades, they didn't see the hybrid connection? Most
automakers, it seems, haven't seen the connection. Not
long ago, even Honda also labeled hybrids as only an
interim technology.
Recently,
however, as many journalists continue to label hybrids a
bridge to fuel cell vehicles, even GM engineers have
conceded that their fuel cell vehicles will also be fuel cell
hybrid vehicles.
And the
hybrid potential doesn't end there!
Even fuel cell developing companies are promoting hybrid vehicles, specifically,
plug-in hybrid
vehicles.
Check this out this line from Hydrogenics, “Plug-in hybrid architecture provides a logical, accelerated path toward the commercialization of fuel cell technology. This is primarily because an optimized battery-dominant plug-in hybrid vehicle allows the size of the fuel cell system to be kept to a minimum, keeping overall system and vehicle cost down. Furthermore, a battery-dominant fuel cell PHEV allows the best of fuel cell and battery technologies to co-exist in one vehicle with extended driving range, zero emissions, and domestically produced fuel.”
(more)
It seems GM
really missed the boat when it comes to hybrid vehicles.
How could Toyota be so far ahead of GM in seeing the
hybrid/fuel cell connection?
As for all the naysayers, I say hybrid critics are just haters, and haters are just losers.
posted
by Dahcredyns at 6:31
AM
|
