Hydrogen Storage Next Big Challenge, Say Global Experts in NAVC Report

BOSTON, Sept. 22 -- The Northeast Advanced Vehicle Consortium (NAVC) is pleased to announce the publication of Future Wheels II: A Survey of Expert Opinion on the Future of Transportation Fuel Cells and Fuel Cell Infrastructure. The report is an update of the original Future Wheels, published three years ago, which proved a valuable source of information for the industry, with over 100,000 downloads. Future Wheels II is now available at www.navc.org.

Future Wheels II reveals the results of interviews conducted with 34 fuel cell experts affiliated with a variety of organizations throughout the world. Representatives from auto companies, energy suppliers, fuel cell developers, government agencies, independent research organizations and environmental groups share their insight into the status of transportation fuel cell technology; likely market penetration scenarios, a review of infrastructure issues, and a broad range of other topics related to the use of fuel cells in cars, trucks, buses and military vehicles. The collective and sometimes conflicting views of the interview subjects are presented without editorializing, allowing readers to get a unique glimpse into the challenges facing this industry and draw their own conclusions as to the timing and impact of this revolutionary technology.

Despite steady advances in fuel cell technology, hydrogen storage is identified as a significant challenge in the drive to develop a commercially- successful fuel cell vehicle. "Three years ago, there was enormous debate about whether fuel cell vehicles would carry hydrogen or make it onboard from a liquid fuel," said Sheila Lynch, NAVC's Executive Director. "Since then, consensus has formed around carrying the hydrogen, but now the big debate is how to store enough of it onboard to satisfy customer needs. Do you need a bigger tank or do you use high pressure storage? Or do you design the vehicle to be more efficient and require less hydrogen? Experts are still debating the answers to these questions," said Ms. Lynch.

The report reveals a host of other findings that highlight progress made over the last three years and the path that lies ahead. For example, the expected commercialization timeframe has slipped, with most experts predicting initial market penetration still a decade or more away. The prospects for microapplications, such as laptops and cell phones, have advanced quickly, while some experts are expressing new concerns about the viability of fuel cells for the transit market.

Development and production of Future Wheels II was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The report was co-authored by Lisa Callaghan and Mark D'Amico of the NAVC.

The NAVC is a public-private partnership of companies, public agencies, and laboratories working together to promote advanced vehicle technologies in the Northeast United States. Its Board of Directors is appointed by the eight Northeast governors and the mayor of New York City. The NAVC and its partners have initiated over 70 projects, spanning a wide range of technology areas including electric, hybrid-electric and fuel cell propulsion systems.