BMW Hydrogen 7 Earns SULEV Designation

Tests at the Argonne National Laboratory have awarded BMW’s Hydrogen 7 vehicle a super-ultra-low-emission vehicle (SULEV) designation. According to the testers, the vehicle passed the SULEV tests with flying colors, registering only a fraction of the maximum emissions allowed to achieve the designation. In fact, at times, with respect to certain exhaust components, the car exhaust was cleaner than the ambient air in the test facilities, and the laboratory needed special equipment to measure the vehicle’s emissions accurately.

The Hydrogen 7 is a mono-fuel version of an ultra-low-emission vehicle that BMW introduced two years ago. The test vehicle is production-ready and according to the company, additional vehicles will be delivered to consumers on a trial basis.

According to BMW, the facility at Argonne was the only test facility in the US that was capable of measuring the vehicle’s emissions accurately. Argonne has conducted cutting-edge alternative vehicle technologies including engines, batteries, fuel cells, and materials research for more than 30 years. Results of the emissions tests will be presented jointly by BMW and Argonne at the 2008 Society of Automotive Engineers 2008 World Congress in Detroit in mid-April.

The company is a strong advocate for the hydrogen-based economy, a stance that puts it into conflict with many other automakers. BMW indicates that the next major hurdle to overcome is the relative scarcity of hydrogen fueling stations in the United States.

BMW is not the only manufacturer looking for more hydrogen stations in North America. GM said last week that its development of FCVs and fuel-cell electric hybrids is virtually at a standstill for lack of a hydrogen filling station infrastructure. Larry Burns, GM’s VP of Research and Development said that the company is no longer able to make significant progress on hydrogen-based vehicles in the absence of safe and convenient access to hydrogen filling stations.

Photo Credit: BMW

GM Moving Ahead With Volt Design, Battery Testing

GM has settled on a final design for the production version of its Volt concept vehicle. According to Larry Burns, VP of Research and Development at GM, the production version of the Volt will be a four-seater with a sloping roofline. The change in the body design and interior space was made to accommodate the Volt’s mid-vehicle 375-lb battery packs, and to reduce drag on the production version of the car. According to Burns, the drag on the production design is 30 percent lower than that of the original concept.

GM has indicated that final Volt development is the company’s first priority. To speed battery testing, GM engineers have developed a new testing algorithm that better simulates a 150,000-mile vehicle life cycle. The new testing regimen drains and charges the battery prototypes based on the vehicle’s 40-mile electric-only drive capabilities. The goal of the testing is to predict accurately the life expectancy of the battery pack. GM will also use Malibus modified to accept the Volt’s battery pack for actual road testing.

The automaker says the vehicle is still on track for a November 2010 debut in showrooms in the US, although GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has recently indicated that the price of the Volt will not be competitive with entry-level vehicles. Instead, Lutz says the current production costs of the Volt will necessitate a sticker price of somewhere around $40,000 or perhaps more.

Lutz says that despite the company’s inability to bring the Volt to production as an entry-level vehicle, GM is still committed to putting the Volt into production. He says that GM does not want to repeat the mistake it made when Toyota was bringing the Prius to market. While GM had the technology to bring a hybrid gas-electric vehicle into production, the company opted not to ask the company’s board to approve a vehicle program that would lose hundreds of millions of dollars. Ultimately, Lutz says the decision to hold back on hybrid vehicles cost the company its reputation for technology leadership and innovation. Lutz vows not to repeat that mistake with electric vehicles.

Photo Credit: General Motors

California Modifies ZEV Goals, Includes PHEVs

The State of California’s Air Resources Board has modified its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) goals through 2014, reducing ZEV production goals by 70 percent. Under the new guidelines, automakers must produce 7,500 ZEVs annually between 2012 and 2014 and 60,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) in the same time frame. The board recommended the inclusion of PHEVs as an intermediate technology alternative while the automakers continue development on viable ZEV programs.

State regulators in California believe that the technology and infrastructure to support zero-emission vehicles are not yet reliably available and would not be available in time to meet the terms of the state’s ZEV plan. As a result, regulators had proposed even more significant modifications to the program that would have both reduced the vehicle targets and extended the timeframe for ZEV production through 2017.

Automakers who are subject to the program goals indicated across the board that they would not be able to meet the original ZEV goals established by the program. Citing concerns that the state’s 18-year-old ZEV program does not adequately meet California’s greenhouse gas reduction mandates and has also grown too complex, the board subsequently responded with a recommendation that a more realistic programmatic revision be in place by the end of 2009.

The regulations don’t apply to all automakers. The largest manufacturers – Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota – are currently required to comply with the terms of the state’s ZEV program. Additional manufacturers could also be added to the list if their sales increase significantly.

Twelve other states had adopted California’s ZEV program, and are expected to follow suit with similar reductions in their own ZEV goals. This is not the first time that the program has been revised to reflect the state of vehicle technology. Initiated in 1990, the program originally required that non-polluting vehicles make up 10 percent of the sales of the six largest automakers in the state by 2003. Facing a similar situation, the Air Resources Board revamped its regulations and added hydrogen FCVs, hybrid vehicles and cleaner-burning gasoline-powered vehicles to the list of desirable products.

Photo Credit: Alessandro Paiva

Algae May Produce Hydrogen For Fuel

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratories believe that algae can be modified to become an efficient producer of hydrogen. Some varieties of algae contain hydrogenase, which emits hydrogen as a by-product of photosynthesis. The natural efficiency of hydrogen production for these plants is around .1%.

By working with genetically modified algae, depriving the plants of sulphur and adding copper, the plants have increased their ability to produce hydrogen. If the modifications eventually result in a hydrogen production rate of 5% to 10%, the plants could become a viable, readily renewable source of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles.

Algae have several advantages over other organic fuel sources, like corn. Algae can be grown in a closed system, which opens up a variety of locations in which it can be produced. Large production facilities can be constructed on otherwise unusable land, meaning that production facilities don’t have to compete with other potential occupants.

Right now, corn production for biofuel competes with corn production for food. The overall effect has been to diminish the available supply of each and to raise the price of the corn that is produced. Currently, corn prices exceed $6 per bushel, reducing its economic attractiveness as a biofuel ingredient

The amount of space needed to produce significant quantities of algae is significantly smaller than that needed to produce corn. Researchers at the University of California estimate that the US would need 25,000 square kilometers of land to for hydrogen production via algae. This is less than one-tenth the space the US now devotes to the production of soybeans.

The next step in the research is to determine whether the enzyme the algae use to create hydrogen can be introduced into the photosynthesis process. The ANL team is confident that they can achieve their research goals.

Photo Credit: Gavin Mills

FreedomCAR Reports On Fuel Cell Progress

The National Research Council has released a report detailing the progress and challenges still faced by the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership, a research and policy joint venture among the US Department of Energy, the three major domestic US automakers, and five major energy companies. The initiative is exploring the benefits and challenges of transitioning from a petroleum-based transportation structure to a hydrogen-based one, and seeks to develop technology that will allow the automakers to decide on the feasibility of a hydrogen alternative by 2015.

The venture has focused on all aspects of auto manufacturing, design and operation, as well as the production, storage, transportation and distribution of hydrogen. The report details some of the technological advancements in the past two years that support the move to hydrogen, as well as some of the persistent challenges. The purpose of the report was to assess progress to date, and verify that the goals of the program are still viable and are being appropriately funded.

Areas of progress include the successful introduction of biofuels, and advances in car batteries that will support a transitional hybrid-electric and all-electric vehicle market. While progress has been made in the creation of Li-ion batteries, their manufacturing cost remains about twice as high as the group’s target levels. Additionally, new research is needed on other high-energy battery formulations to determine whether the batteries – whether they’re Li-ion or another technology – can be mass-produced easily.

The report recommended additional research in the materials used in fuel cell membranes and membrane electrode assemblies, and expressed the need for significant improvements in the durability and cost of these components. According to the report, this was one research area in which a reallocation of research dollars was needed to ensure that the venture’s goals are appropriately met.

The report also updated progress on hydrogen storage for vehicles. Regardless of its form, the hydrogen needed for a 300-mile refueling cycle takes up more space and requires heavier storage tanks than a comparable volume of gasoline. The report concludes that the initiative’s goals on weight, storage capacity and cost will remain unmet without the development of yet-unknown technology. The initiative is still supporting basic research in this area.

Finally, the report recommended extending the initiative’s existence until 2030 or 2035, to ensure that research goals and transitional issues are addressed appropriately.

Google Shares Operational Data On PHEV Conversions In Its Fleet

Google is reporting performance data on six fleet vehicles the company converted to PHEVs. The conversions, four Toyota Priuses and two Ford Escapes, cost about $15,000 apiece. The overall annual savings on the converted PHEVs was disappointing and ranged from about $160 to $250, depending upon the vehicle.

The plug-in Priuses reduced their gasoline consumption by only 88 gallons over non-converted Priuses in the Google fleet, but charted about 425 gallons less than a conventional gasoline-powered fleet vehicle. The PHEVs did record much better fuel economy at 66.2 miles per gallon, compared with 44.6 MPG for the non-convert Priuses. They also showed a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions compared to non-converted Priuses and conventional gasoline engines.

Google did indicate that their fleet vehicles are used primarily for short trips, which would lower fuel-economy statistics. On longer trips, the PHEV converts can register anywhere between 70 and 100 mpg.

Based upon the cost of the conversion, an assumption that a gallon of gas would cost $3, and the cost of electricity, the company would not break even on the conversion for 95 years, but Google cautions that its motive in pursuing the PHEV conversions was not cost savings, but rather a reduction in carbon emissions.

It’s also important to note that factory-built PHEV vehicles are expected to cost less than aftermarket conversions, and gas prices may move toward $4 per gallon, which could reduce the break even time on a PHEV to seven or eight years. Additionally, advances in battery technology that would enable a PHEV to travel farther between recharges could reduce the overall operational cost and make a PHEV more economically viable.

One more consideration is the potential institution of so-called “carbon taxes” which would be levied against vehicles that emit high volumes of CO2 gas. No such tax proposals are in the works in the US, but states are increasingly regulating carbon emissions. California, Connecticut and New York have all recently passed more stringent emissions requirements for vehicles sold in those states, and additional states are considering imposing similar restrictions. Penalties for failing to meet local CO2 standards could contribute to a generalized move toward hybrid technologies, which would in turn lower their production costs.

GM To Road Test Li-Ion Batteries For Volt

GM Vice Chairman of Product Development Bob Lutz spoke about the status of GM’s Volt at the New York Auto Show. He indicated that the company will begin road testing Li-ion battery packs for the Volt in July of this year. This timeframe is behind the company’s previously announced testing schedule, but will not significantly impact the company’s ability to deliver the vehicle to market by 2010.

Lutz also indicated that the company has not yet determined which supplier will manufacture battery packs for the vehicle, and may delay that announcement until the second-half of 2008. Lutz says that GM is still uncertain about which suppliers have the production capacity to deliver the Li-ion battery packs.

Speaking of the broader Volt vehicle program, Lutz said that the sticker price of the Volt and GM’s two-mode hybrid Saturn Vue will be higher than originally expected. According to Lutz, the two-mode hybrid system on the Vue will add about $8K-$9K to the vehicle’s current cost, and the plug-in hybrid technology will add another $8K-$9K to the price, leaving the Vue with a sticker price of $48,000. The Volt has not been priced out yet, but consumers interested in purchasing the vehicle should a sticker price in the neighborhood of $40,000.

GM does not expect the Volt to achieve profitability for years, and is prepared to lose money on the Volt’s production in order to establish GM’s technological superiority and competitive position in the plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle market.

Despite the financial outlook that the company is prepared to accept, Lutz predicts that consumers will embrace the vehicle once it hits the market, suggesting that demand for the Volt could reach 500,000 units annually and could also spill over into its other hybrid models.

In the speech, Lutz also admitted that GM had wasted an opportunity to establish itself as a leader in the PHEV market by not capitalizing on technology the automaker has had since the 1960’s.

Sixty-Four Teams Go For The X Prize

Sixty-four teams have been assembled thus far to compete for the Automotive X Prize. The goal of the competition is to design a vehicle that can achieve a fuel economy rating of at least 100 mpg. The competition offers $10 million in prizes. Progressive Insurance Co is sponsoring the competition.

To date, fifty-one teams from 22 states, along with thirteen international entries from Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK have filed a letter of intent to compete for the top prize. Entry into the race will be closed in mid-2008, when race organizers begin to evaluate proposed designs for manufacturability, safety, cost, durability, and marketability to ensure that the designs comply with the contest requirements that the entries are adaptable for mass production and appeal to ordinary consumers. All competition vehicles must also meet the US EPA Tier II bin 5 standards.

Entrants must adhere to all current US vehicle safety standards. The entrants will be judged on their mass production costs, assuming a 10,000-unit production run. Designs that exceed what the market will bear will be excluded from competition. Vehicles must also deliver the features that consumers expect to find when purchasing a vehicle. Finally, entrants must also produce a business plan for bringing their vehicle to the marketplace.

The competition will feature two entry classes: mainstream and alternative. All entries must meet the fuel economy and emissions standards, regardless of their class. The mainstream-class vehicles will have four or more wheels, seat four or more passengers and will meet conventional size and performance expectations. Alternative-class entries have no minimum number of wheels, but must accommodate at least two passengers.

Entries that are adjudged to qualify will then compete in a staged, cross-country race that will test the designs’ speed and endurance; their ability to travel significant distances; and measure their overall performance in the race. To win, the fastest vehicle that also meets the established 100-mpg fuel efficiency standard and a CO2 emissions standard of not more than 200 grams per mile will be declared the winner.

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