Filed under: Hydrogen, Chevrolet, GM
Driving impressions of the fuel cell Chevy Equinox
Here in the Ann Arbor office of ABG we don't have access to a public hydrogen filling station yet. The only ones around here at the EPA national testing lab, the NextEnergy Center in Detroit and at various automakers facilities. That means that we're not eligible to get one of GM's Project Driveway fuel cell Equinoxes. We've driven it (full disclosure: In my previous life working as an engineer I was involved in developing the brake system on the FC Equinox so I've spent plenty of time in them) on public streets for a short jaunt around Las Vegas during this year's CES. With a home base in Los Angeles, the team at Motor Trend was found to be eligible and has been given one of the Equinoxes to drive for a few weeks. MT Editor Angus MacKenzie gives his first impressions over on their blog and not surprisingly finds it to be pretty unexceptional to drive. That's not a slam by any means, but more a statement of the fact that the Equinox basically just works. Aside from some compressor whine and some occasional clicks of opening and closing valves in the fuel system, It drives like a conventional Equinox but with a better low end torque thanks to the electric drive. MacKenzie's biggest complaint? Make a car of the future look more futuristic (take a hint from Honda's FCX Clarity here).
[Source: Motor Trend]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DJL 7:12PM (8/07/2008)
"MacKenzie's biggest complaint? Make a car of the future look more futuristic (take a hint from Honda's FCX Clarity here)."
This is still not much more than a development mule. It certainly doesn't merit its own dedicated body or platform.
The FCX is a nice bit of advertising for Honda, but the reality is that the carbon footprint of the production line for a limited edition vehicle is far greater than the savings from the hydrogen powerplant.
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jake 7:33PM (8/07/2008)
I agree, the Clarity is Honda's green PR poster child, while the Volt is GM's, so I don't think GM will focus as much on the Equinox. But the Clarity did get noticably more press just for its looks; Honda somehow made it feel more like they are actually selling a brand new hydrogen car, when they really are just doing limited leasing.
why not the LS2LS7? 7:54PM (8/07/2008)
Plymouth Road represent...
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Joseph 9:42PM (8/07/2008)
Sam,
I thought you helped design the braking system for the Tahoe's two-mode hybrid system, not for the FC Chevy Equinox. Or was the system carried over?
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J Mbongo 8:12AM (8/08/2008)
After being given an opportunity to drive a free fuel cell Chevy Equinox (contrary to Honda who makes them pay for its own cars while testing them), Motor Trend editor MacKenzie came with what he called his biggest complaint about the fuel cell Chevy Equinox: 'Make a car of the future look more futuristic (take a hint from Honda's FCX Clarity here)'.
What an idiot! The Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell is even not a pre-production car. It is just a mule, a car to test the technology, to show people that the technology works and teach them how to use it.
How can someone who pretends to be a cars specialist, can fall so low?
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