The cost of making it difficult to identify

Is the global automotive Arlésienne, but despite the launch of less revolutionary engines more short term, as the hybrids, the major manufacturers it were not buried: fuel cell or hydrogen engine, tested by some manufacturers for ten years, is not all disappeared from the radar engineers screens. Quite the contrary. The emit only water vapor out of the tailpipe, for close driving performance of a four gasoline engine cylinder, deserves reflection. Remains to overcome two questions of size, the deployment of infrastructure charging hydrogen (there was less than 300 stations in the world in 2008) and the problem of the cost of returned vehicles.

"There is a consensus between several major automakers, GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Renault-Nissan and the Hyundai group, to consider that the commercialization phase should start around 2015", said George Hansen, Director for GM for the commercialization of the Asia-Pacific fuel cell. It refers to a letter of intent signed by these same manufacturers, end of 2009, destined for the big names of energy and the non governmental organizations. "In our view, 2015 should mark the end of the demonstration phase, to enter into the beginnings of the commercial phase." "The second generation of vehicles, from that date, may represent in terms of price of 50 to 75 of the first and the third, deliverable to 2020-2022, would fall between 25 and 50 of this same price", extrapolates.

Autonomy of 420 kilometres

General Motors already has a certain return of experience on the subject. It has deployed a fleet test of 119 Chevrolet Equinox "fuel cell" since 2007, with voluntary clients in America, Europe and Asia. They traveled 2.1 million kilometres, using only the hydrogen. The operation allowed to prepare the next generation, with a much more compact electric motor (half of the weight and size, and much less valuable as materials Platinum). The latest version of the Equinox SUV is not ridiculous in terms of performance: a speed peak of 160 km/h, a range of 420 kilometres with a full of hydrogen and a silence of worthy of a functioning model electric classical.

GM is not the only one to work in this direction. German Daimler, who played the precursors in 1994 with the first rounds of wheel of a utility fuel cell and was deployed from a family of vehicles (including), will also skip to the next phase. The Group of Stuttgart will assign the next year a fleet of 30 compact minivans class B "fuel cell" Germany companies. The life-size test will be expanded to California in 2012, with some 70 class B, which will be rented for $ 850 per month. As in the case of GM, and progress has been made over the previous (of the class A) generation in terms of radius of action, size of the engine and starting in cold weather. Thomas Weber, the pattern of R & D group to the star, hope "commercial maturity of this technology by 2015".

Certainly, Daimler has a little timer on these experiences, which were announced for 2010, but it is always at the forefront, and there is no point to leave too soon if the distribution of hydrogen system did not develop in large industrial customers. The cost of making it difficult to identify. "It is necessarily very high for all prototypes, because these class B are not mounted on a classical string.". "But what is sought first and foremost, it is a return of experience", said at Daimler.

Renault-Nissan also established the ranks. With its Japanese ally, who provided the fuel cell, the hydrogen tank and the lithium-ion battery, the diamond mark adapted a version of the Scénic (named ZEV H2), presented early 2009 at the States General automotive and capable of driving 350 kilometres, even more than 500 in the term. Considered as an extension of the conventional electric cars, that it will soon market, this type of model is designed, according to Renault, to be "developed in 2015-2020".