The Fuel Cell Comes of Age - Trends

The recent debut of Mercedes - Benz ' A - Class - based NECAR 3 hybrid electric vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show portends big things for the hydrogen fuel cell. What seemed an exercise in wishful thinking not so long ago now appears destined for commercialization, perhaps within six short years. That ' s when the firm says it ' s aiming to sell 100, 000 fuel cell vehicles, beginning with municipal fleets.

A fanciful daydream, you say? Consider this: Mercedes demonstrated its fuel - cell - powered NECAR ( New Electric Car ) commercial van in 1994 and the evolutionary NECAR II minivan, based on the current V - Class van, in 1996. Its point was clear: Within an amazingly short two years, the fuel cell developed by its Canadian partner, Ballard Power Systems, radically shrank from a unit requiring the entire cargo area of a commercial van to one that comfortably fit behind a minivan ' s rear seat. Fuel cell packaging in a passenger vehicle was now possible, although other important technical issues like onboard hydrogen storage and high price still needed to be resolved.

The latest - generation NECAR 3 developmental vehicle makes another impressive statement in downsizing. Its fuel cells are secreted beneath the passenger compartment within the car ' s double - floor sandwich design. The 18 - inch - high reformer tucks nicely into the rear of the A - Class.

The NECAR 3 also addresses the issue of storing hydrogen onboard. It simply does away with hydrogen storage altogether, so heavy and bulky gaseous fuel cylinders are no longer required.

Instead, this high - tech A - Class fuels up with methanol transformed through onboard water - vapor reformation into the hydrogen needed to power the fuel cell. The fuel cell combines this hydrogen with atmospheric oxygen to create electricity without combustion, which is then used to power the car ' s electric drive motor. All this happens instantaneously in response to accelerator pedal pressure, which ensures vehicle dynamics similar to those of a conventional gasoline - fueled vehicle. Mercedes - Benz says the process is so efficient that fully 90 - percent of the system ' s power is available within just 2 seconds.

The 11 gallons of methanol carried onboard this one - off A - Class provides a very real 250 - mile range, although " real " is relative considering the planet ' s paucity of methanol refueling stations. One possible solution visualized by Mercedes is a flexible - fuel ( methanol / gasoline ) approach that will allow using either fuel until sufficient methanol refueling sites are available.

Book Review: Automobile History - Day By Day, by Douglas A. Wick. 1997, Hedemarken Collectibles Publisher and Wholesaler, P. O. Box 7399, Northbrook Station, Bismark, ND 58507; 701 / 258 - 5794. Soft cover; 11x811 / 42 inches; 600 pages; 431 B / W photos and illustrations; ISBN 0 - 9620968 - 2 - 2. $50 ( plus $5 shipping / handling ). $60 hardbound.

In his forward to this book, General Motors ' Vice Chairman Harry J. Pearce characterizes " Automobile History - Day By Day " as a labor of love. Clearly author Douglas Wick sees it in much the same light. A lifelong car fanatic and collector of books, magazines, photos, and other auto - related memorabilia, he spent years compiling the information in this 600 - page epic.

To help readers easily locate factoids from among the vast array of data chronicled, Wick has provided five indexes that cross reference the material by marque, company and organization, personal names, place names, and illustrations.

" Automobile History - Day By Day " is not your typical coffee - table tome. Produced on a shoestring, printed on uncoated stock, and bereft of flashy artwork, its primary appeal is definitely to harder - core enthusiasts. While offering their own insight into times gone by, many of the vintage photos Wick uses have more to do with an era than any specific related historic event. However, if you happen to be one of that select cadre who find it valuable to know that on Jan. 1, 1879, Carl Benz successfully operated his two - stroke gasoline engine for the first time or that the initial running of the Mille Miglia began on March 26, 1927, or that on July 31, 1981, the last Corvette was produced in the old St. Louis plant before assembly was transferred to the current Bowling Green facility, there ' s a good chance this massive reference would be right at home on your bookshelf. - B. N.