Ford's advanced hydrogen internal combustion engine (HICE) powered shuttle bus program delivered three vehicles in early December to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada to begin an important pilot program. Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. are providing the hydrogen fuel injectors used in the HICE E450s which will be included in the Senate shuttle bus fleet for evaluation.

The hydrogen buses will replace existing gasoline-powered shuttle buses and, in doing so, will reduce engine-related emissions to near-zero levels. These units form a pre-commercial evaluation of Ford's HICE technology under real-world conditions that will help Ford assess the viability of commercially offering vehicles equipped with hydrogen internal combustion engines.

Quantum says its patented gaseous fuel injector was designed for outstanding durability while providing high flow rates in gaseous fuel applications and are designed to work with natural gas, propane and hydrogen in internal combustion engines and fuel cell applications.

Analysis: For a company like Ford to bring a hydrogen vehicle to market, their vast network of parts suppliers and OEMs have to be on board as well. Something as simple as a fuel injector really has to be redesigned when you move from petrol or diesel to hydrogen to get the best performance so its great to see suppliers like Quantum and others putting their own R&D dollars towards important components for the coming hydrogen economy.

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[Source: Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide]

The influential German magazine Spiegel isn't impressed with the energy balance presented by the luxurious BMW Hydrogen 7. Claiming the vehicle will "put more strain on the environment than a heavy diesel truck," the magazine pointed out the car requires 50 liters of hydrogen to drive the same distance as 13.9 liters, or 3.7 gallons, of gasoline. Then the magazine went into the energy and money required to produce the currently scarce supplies of hydrogen. BMW is one of the few companies experimenting with hydrogen in an internal combustion engine. Ford has a small program with a V10 engine in an airport transport bus, but BMW is tempting premium consumers with the technology. Early buyers are celebrities but BMW won't divulge any names.

[Source: Christian Wust/Spiegel]