Fill ‘er Up — But Not With Gas

It’s touted by many as the ultimate environment-friendly solution regarding vehicular emissions, possibly even getting the nod of the most rabid tree-hugging activist — who may not still be all too happy with the LEVs or ULEVs (Low Emissions Vehicle, Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle). And with good reason, too. Because how can anybody complain about a vehicle whose "tailpipe’s" emissions are nothing but pure water?

Called the Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV), manufacturers believe this technology may finally get automobiles out of environmental debates in the future. And among current zero-emissions power plant alternatives, the fuel cell option is considered the most feasible. General Motors, the world’s largest car company, for one, recently said FCV will eventually render other alternatives like gasoline-electric hybrids obsolete. The carmaker has even invested US$ 1 billion in developing its fuel cell technology and hopes to mass market FCV by 2010, a move considered as one of the most optimistic in the industry.

But What Exactly Is An FCV?

Unlike average sedans, an FCV does not pack an internal combustion engine beneath its sheetmetal. Instead, an FCV uses an electric motor to power its wheels. This electric motor runs on electricity generated by a fuel cell stack that uses hydrogen and oxygen as its energy source. There are different methods on how a fuel cell stack creates electricity, but generally speaking, it is the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen that makes it possible to produce electrical power. Think of it as the reverse of electrolysis, where electrical current is used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen. In the fuel cell stack, it’s the chemical energy derived from hydrogen and oxygen that’s converted into electrical energy, and the only emission is water.

Generally, hydrogen is stored onboard the vehicle in large, high-pressure tanks, which does not differ much from having a gasoline tank like the ones found in all conventional cars with an internal combustion engine. Some FCVs also use some form of assist mechanism — a battery or capacitor — to supplement the fuel cell stack, while others rely on the stack alone.

Essentially, an FCV’s main components are comprised of the fuel cell stack, a hydrogen supply system, an air supply unit for the stack, a humidification system which makes use of the water produced by the stack, and a specifically designed cooling system. As mentioned, some may also have a supplementary power generating system. Its drivetrain, meanwhile, is composed of an electric motor, a transmission and a drive shaft. A power control unit (PCU) acts as an equivalent of the engine management system found on most modern conventional cars.

So How Does An FCV Operate In The Real World?

On a recent trip to Japan, we were able to sample the Honda FCX FCV at the company’s proving grounds outside of Tokyo. The FCX appears like a regular two-door hatchback, albeit with a taller body to accommodate its fuel cell system under the floor and the hydrogen tanks tucked under the rear seat. Driving the FCX, the only thing that’s extraordinarily different about it is that there is nothing extraordinarily different when you compare it to driving a conventional car. The motor provides ample power for acceleration, the interior sits four comfortably, and all the controls are pretty normal, save for the fact that there is only one forward "Drive" setting in the gear shifter. The Honda engineer riding with us says there is no need to add gears as the motor churns out enough torque to power the car. Otherwise, it feels like a garden variety econobox. There is nothing markedly notable in operating an FCV — in the proving grounds, at least.

However, an FCV should not be confused with an Electric Vehicle (EV). Both FCV and EV rely on electric motors to drive its wheels, and neither spew harmful pollutants in the air. But in terms of practicality, manufacturers say the differences between FCV and EV are quite significant.

An EV stores electricity in a battery, for instance, which once depleted, requires a considerable amount of time to recharge. As such, manufacturers say EV may be better suited to short distance driving only. An FCV, on the other hand, has more real-world potential and can be operated much like a conventional car. If the fuel meter reads low, you simply go to a service station to fuel up.

Which begs the question; where would one find a service station that has a sign "Hydrogen" in one of its pumps? While driving an FCV may not differ from driving a conventional car, the infrastructure to support its operation is clearly not in place yet. Although, it doesn’t really matter at the moment as FCV are not presently sold commercially.

Also, an FCV still costs a fortune to build. In December last year, Honda delivered five FCX cars to the city of Los Angeles in the US, making it the first fuel cell car made available for daily, real-world use. Based on estimates, one FCX costs a whopping US$1.6 million to build, but Honda is leasing it to the LA government for $500 a month. By comparison, a Civic would average about US$180 a month to lease and is priced at US$16,000 at the showroom. And though the cost of the FCX will drastically drop when it’s mass produced, industry experts still believe a mass produced fuel cell powertrain — regardless of which car company builds it — would be ten times more expensive than a conventional gasoline car. But of course that’s based on current factors. Some new technology may be developed in the future that will cut down the cost of FCV manufacturing and operation.

Besides, reinventing the car to save the planet is deemed as a politically-correct thing to do. Which, to most, would justify its cost.