Currently, hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. But if Ford gets its way, we'll have to rethink our science texts in the coming decades. At least, according to The Onion we might.

In yesterday's Onion Radio News piece, anchor Doyle Redland talked about the new Foresight, a hydrogen-powered SUV from Ford. As Bill Ford says in the piece, "The 11-ton Foresight will be unaffected by the price gouging whims of OPEC as it uses water electrolysis to gather fuel from the oceans and the fresh mountain air." The one problem is that this one model is expected to use up all of the world's hydrogen supplies by 2070. Of course, by then, we might be in the stars and can collect hydrogen from space.

Remember, it's all a joke, and an old one at that. This article was first published a few years ago and talks about a Fall 2004 rollout of the Ford Foresight. Still funny, though.

[Source: The Onion]

Click image to enlarge

The new Subaru Stella plug-in isn't the only Japanese green car making its debut next month at the G8 conference in Hokkaido. Suzuki's in the game as well with a new hydrogen fuel cell version of its SX4 crossover, the SX4-FCV. Fitted with a fuel cell supplied by GM, and a 70 MPa (10,000 psi) storage tank for the H₂, the SX4-FCV has a maximum operating range of 250 kilometers and a top speed of 120 km/h (around 75 mph). Power output from the fuel cell is rated at 80 kW, while the motor delivers 68 kW. Road testing has been approved by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and transport, and will commence soon.

[Source: Suzuki]

Take some hazardous waste - say, chemical residuals - and put it through a mobile Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM) and, presto, you've got hydrogen-rich syngas, useful for all sorts of things. What things, you might want to know? Well, InEnTec Chemical, the company behing the PEM system, said in a statement (available after the jump) that the syngas can be used to make "high purity hydrogen, methanol, hydrogen/carbon monoxide ("HyCO"), and other products used by chemical and refining plants." It'll be a while before InEnTec hydrogen from hazardous waste powers your Clarity, though. InEnTec recently demonstrated the technology to "four of the world's largest chemical companies" but is not yet up and running anywhere in the U.S. The first application here looks like it will be at a Dow Corning plant (operated by Veolia Environmental Services) in Midland, Michigan. Global Plasma in Taiwan has apparently been using a PEM to make clean electricity since 2005.

Nissan and Renault have already announced plans to start offering battery electric vehicles beginning in 2010 for fleet testing with retail availability a year or two later. However batteries aren't the only technology they are looking at for emissions-free running. Hydrogen fuel cells are also in the picture. Nissan has been testing fuel cell-powered versions of its X-Trail SUV for the past two years with examples leased to Japanese government agencies. Renault and Nissan are now jointly working on a fuel cell version of the Renault Grand Scenic compact MPV.

The Scenic ZEV H2 uses a Nissan-developed fuel cell stack, with high pressure hydrogen storage and lithium ion batteries for recapturing kinetic energy during regenerative braking. All the hardware is mounted under the floor of the vehicle, maintaining seating for five adults. Both the X-Trail and Scenic will be shown at a variety of green events around Europe this year.

[Source: Nissan]

The U.S. Department of Energy has found some money behind the grant funding couch - $130 million to be exact - and wants to hand it over to people working on developing advanced fuel cell technologies. The couch in this case is the President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative which, unsurprisingly given the name, is charged with helping research hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The $130m could also go to stationary fuel cell projects "to support market transformation that provide real-world operation data." The DOE said in a statement (available after the jump), that it expects the $130m to be split by up to 50 awardees like universities, national laboratories and industry players. Interested parties have until August 27 of this year to submit proposals. For more information, click here.

Also, the DOE is now using a fuel cell-powered Chevrolet Equinox in its fleet. The Equinox will be used by DOE employees in the Washington, D.C. area.

Ah, those Italians and their penchant for rolling art. While the Fiat Phylla solar car concept may not yet exist in drivable form, it's asymmetrical styling sure is an attention getter. Presented a few days ago in Turin, Italy during "Uniamo le energie," this city car is designed to use solar panels and a hydrogen fuel cell to send power to each of its four wheels yet emit nothing but water and good vibes.

The project involved many different entities and agencies including the Piedmont Region, which sponsored and funded the undertaking, From Concept to Car and the Institute of Applied Art and Design, to name just a few, while the effort was directed by the Fiat Research Center. Besides its environmental goals of producing a high efficiency, recyclable vehicle powered chiefly by alternative sources of energy including solar, hydropower and biogas, the group sought to create a product that would be amenable to car-sharing programs and be inexpensive to operate. Indeed, since the Phylla is said to be capable of traveling 18 kilometers (11 miles) with just the energy it captures from the sun during the day, we think it is within reach of at least some of its goals.

Daimler's 36 hydrogen fuel cell buses, including some that were used in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and since then used as public transportation vehicles in Berlin, have now driven more than two million kilometers (about 1.24m miles) in daily driving. 30 buses were in Europe and there were three each in Perth, Australia and Beijing, China. Daimler says that the buses are proof that its fuel cell tech (also available in cars, of course) has "proved its worth in different climatic regions." The buses - which have moved over seven million passengers during 135,000 operating hours since 2003 - operated throughout Europe, from Sweden to Spain. The European buses are known as HyFLEET:CUTE (Hydrogen Fleet Clean Urban Transport for Europe) and are all being monitored so Daimler knows how to make better hydrogen fuel cell systems in the future. More details after the jump.

Click on the image for more high-res shots

Based on a Peugeot Partner Origin van, the H₂Origin zero emissions urban delivery technical demonstrator (that's a mouthful!) has just been unveiled by Intelligent Energy and PSA Peugeot Citroën. The delivery van is powered by electricity and gains additional juice by way of a 10kWh hydrogen fuel cell system from IE. Together, the batteries and fuel cell can offer up a range of 300 kilometers (over 180 miles). In order to accommodate refueling needs, the empty compressed hydrogen tanks can be exchanged with fresh tanks. Without the fuel cell, range would be cut by two-thirds. Full press release after the break.

A 2005 press image from Air Products.

Need hydrogen in Alberta, Canada? Air Products (along with its Air Products Canada Ltd. subsidiary) has announced the commercialization of a hydrogen plant this week. Air Products' new plant can make over 100 million standard-cubic-feet-per-day. The hydrogen is sold to a Petro-Canada refinery near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and to "other customers in the Alberta Heartlands industrial corridor" under long-term agreements.

While Air Products has some knowledge about fueling hydrogen vehicles (in South Carolina and plans for London) this hydrogen isn't intended for transportation use. Instead, it goes to the refinery to help process bitumen into a synthetic crude oil and then, with the hydrogen, into refined oil products like gasoline and diesel fuel (135,000 barrels a day at the Edmonton refinery). More details after the break.

Last year, the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF) was launched as a racing organization for hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles. A bit later, the federation announced that their first race would take place in 2009 and be known as the Hydrogen 500. There have been some big names attached to this race, but we haven't heard much from them lately. Here's hoping that the race does take place as planned and that the series proves useful when it comes to practical application of hydrogen and electric power to consumer vehicles.

The next lap features Number 4.

We are sure to catch some flack for choosing hydrogen as a promising green technology, but can't we all agree that there's some amount of potential in it? Consider the super clean emissions of a properly engineered hydrogen-burning vehicle. Even if a hydrogen-burning powerplant were not the main source of energy for a vehicle, either an engine running on hydrogen or a small fuel cell could provide additional range to an otherwise strictly electric vehicle. There are certainly many hurdles to overcome, but a huge amount of money is betting on the technology, and we've got to include it here. With an eye to the critics, we place hydrogen at spot number ten.

Let's move on to Number 9.

There was a panel discussion at this week's SAE Congress that I couldn't pass up. Titled "Fuel Cell Vehicle Panel: Challenges Remaining for Commercialization," the session was a bit of a brainstorm on just how we might one day drive hydrogen-fueled cars with some of the people who are working quite diligently on the problem today. The panel featured Dr. Massimo Venturi, CTO of NuCellsys GmbH, Germany, Dr. Kev Adjemian, senior principle engineer, Nissan Fuel Cell Laboratory, Michigan, and Dr. James Miller, director, Electrochemical Technology Program, Argonne National Lab (for DOE), Fuel Cell Laboratory, Chicago. The three spoke and answered questions for about 30 minutes. Needless to say, the big problems weren't solved in this half hour, but it was enlightening to hear from another industry panel where things stand today regarding the automobile and the hydrogen economy. Considering that the public's perception of hydrogen fuel is currently defined (for many) as the Hindenberg explosion, there are more than just technological issues to deal with.

Because of the nature of the SAE Congress, I did not have permission to post the audio of this panel. Instead, I've detailed some of what was said and given a few of my own thoughts after the break.

Click on the image to view high-res shots of the Mercedes F700 concept

As part of an annual meeting held in Berlin, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says that the company will increase its R&D spending to $21 billion for the year 2010. A major part of those expenses will go towards alternative powerplants. Hydrogen and lithium ion batteries will make up a good chunk of these charges, and Zetsche claims that Daimler has made "a major breakthrough in battery technology." Regarding the heat generated by lithium ion batteries, Zetsche adds, "Daimler has solved the problem. Thanks to the integration of the vehicle's cooling system, the batteries can now operate continually at optimal system temperatures. This maximizes their power output; extends their service life, and make it possible to use this high-performance technology in automotive applications. We've protected this innovation with 25 patents."

Mercedes-Benz will continue to offer large, powerful and luxurious vehicles in each of the market segments in which it competes. What's more, Dr. Z adds, the company "aims to offer at least one model in each of the Mercedes-Benz core model series that is a leader in fuel consumption." We're reminded of the F700 concept that the company recently introduced. We would add that DiesOtto, or HCCI engines, could make a dent in Mercedes' overall fuel consumption statistics.

[Source: The Car Connection]

Birmingham University is now home to Britain's first hydrogen filling station, part of a dozen planned to be installed by 2010. So far there are only a handful of hydrogen-fueled cars in the country but the university will be using this station to support ongoing research into hydrogen vehicles. Although Honda hasn't yet indicated any plans to offer the new FCX Clarity in the UK, Transport for London is pushing hard to get more stations opened in the area of the capital next year. If that happens, Honda may reconsider and offer the right hand drive Japanese version of the Clarity in Britain.


[Source: AutoCar]

The outgoing President of Shell's U.S. operation has thrown some cold water on the latest GM and Toyota PR offensive for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Shell's John Hofmeister told a Sacramento, Calif., audience Monday at a conference on low-carbon fuels that widespread use of hydrogen as an automotive fuel remains one to three decades out.

GM's Larry Burns recently called on fuel providers (read oil companies) to make a greater effort to roll out hydrogen fueling stations. Hofmeister sees difficulty convincing service station owners to make the investment required to offer a fuel for which there is no near-term prospect of vehicles. The federal government has provided over $1 billion dollars for hydrogen and fuel cells to little practical effect. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's pet Hydrogen Highway project, to which he has devoted millions of taxpayer dollars, "is going to be a long, drawn-out process. These infrastructure issues are going to continue getting in the way."

[Source: Edmunds.com]