Message #313 From:
FastFun Date: November 17, 2007 11:25:35 AM
GM lining up drivers to test fuel-cell models
By MARK GLOVER
Sacramento Bee
Advertisement
General Motors is putting celebrities, public officials, corporate honchos and average American families in the driver’s seats of more than 100 prototype vehicles, giving them a crucial role in shaping the future of fuel-cell technology.
“Drivers will provide regular, candid feedback about their use of the vehicle in their daily lives, the vehicle’s performance and their personal preferences, which is key in defining our product and market introduction plans for fuel-cell electric vehicles,” said Ed Peper, general manager of GM’s Chevrolet division.
More than half the electric vehicles with on-board hydrogen tanks will be distributed in the Los Angeles area, and others will be deployed in New York and Washington, D.C. A small number will be tested overseas.
In a savvy marketing move, GM is going to separately announce the names of high-profile people and average Americans who are lining up to get behind the wheel of its Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, a sport utility vehicle that bears a striking resemblance to its gas-powered Equinox sibling.
The Equinox Fuel Cell can go from zero to 60 mph in 12 seconds and has a top speed of about 100 mph, according to GM. Its range is about 150 miles per fill-up, roughly 9 pounds of hydrogen.
Automakers worldwide are developing fuel cell vehicles in an effort to reduce the effect of auto emissions on the environment and to limit the use of precious natural resources.
“We’re making progress on the development of this technology,” said Julie Beamer, director of fuel cell commercialization for GM. “ … What we learn … will help us further develop this technology. But it’s more than the technology. We want to educate the public and give consumers confidence about these vehicles.”
Many consumers fear that hydrogen-fueled vehicles are more likely to explode. In reality, hydrogen is not as volatile as gasoline, and GM’s Equinox Fuel Cell has no internal-combustion process. Engineers designed major systems of the Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle to shut down in the event of a crash and inserted multiple sensors to detect hydrogen leaks.
Project Driveway will collect feedback over three years. GM has set no specific timetable for mass-producing electrics.
“What we learn will directly influence future electrically driven vehicle generations and ultimate market acceptance,” said Dan Hancock, GM Powertrain vice president, global engineering.
