GM: Generators Key To Fuel Cell Cars

Ed Garsten, AP Auto Writer reported that GM plans to have fuel cell powered electric generators commercially available by 2005, a move that could provide it with the revenue and technology for meeting its goal of widely available fuel cell vehicles by the end of the decade.

"If we're producing hydrogen for a fuel cell that's producing power ... we have the power to produce a fueling station," Tim Vail, director of distributive generation solutions, told reporters at the GM's new fuel cell research facility Monday.

Larry Burns, GM's vice president for research, development and planning said it's possible that hundreds of thousands of hydrogen fuel cell-power vehicles could be on the road by 2010.

GM wouldn't produce the generators, but would provide the fuel cell technology through partnerships with other companies.

Vail said the arrangement would be similar to the personal computing industry wherein a separate company builds the processors, but not the PCs.

"Let them bend the sheet metal and put our module inside their unit," he said.

GM plans to announce its partnerships later this year, produce prototype units by late 2003 or 2004 and sell the technology in 2005 or 2006, Vail said.

The automaker wants to tap the lucrative "premium power" market, such as data communications companies and hospitals that are willing to pay as much as $1,000 per kilowatt hour for reliable power.

Such power is interrupted an average of just more than three seconds a year, compared with an average of 8.76 hours a year for electricity provided to most residential and commercial customers who pay $1 a kilowatt hour.

At the dedication of GM's new 64,000 square-foot fuel cell facility, New York Gov. George Pataki powered on a unit like those that will provide some of the electricity for the lab.

Another lab, operating next door since 1998, is partially powered by fuel cell electric generators.

Other GM fuel cell research facilities are located in Warren, Mich., and in Mainz-Kastel, Germany.

The new facility in Honeoye Falls will employ about 100 engineers, besides the 200 that have been working in the existing lab since 1998.

Fuel cells produce electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the only emission is water vapor, but there is no extensive refueling infrastructure. On-board tanks that are safe, light and inexpensive enough remain in development.

Gasoline, methanol and natural gas are being used as interim fuels, but they require the addition of a heavy, expensive reformer to extract hydrogen and aren't pollution-free.

In May, GM demonstrated a gasoline-fed fuel cell version of its Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck.

The automaker also is working on a drivable version of the Autonomy fuel cell vehicle it debuted at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Autonomy is based on a skateboard-like structure where each wheel is powered by an individual electric motor and controls such as steering, braking and transmission use "by wire" technology, operated electronically, instead of mechanically.

Interchangeable bodies can be mounted on the chassis.

Burns said Monday he would need to sign off on whether to go forward with production of an Autonomy-like vehicle by 2005 or 2006.

Last January, domestic automakers and U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced an initiative called FreedomCAR to develop a hydrogen infrastructure and speed the production of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Every major automaker is working on a fuel cell vehicle.

Last week, Honda Motor Co. announced it would begin leasing a four-passenger, hydrogen-powered car in California and Japan this fall, making it available to government and institutional users.

The FCX, short for "fuel cell experimental," likely will become the first zero-emissions car available in California that is not powered by batteries that need recharging. There are no immediate plans to mass-market it to consumers.