Fuel cells are one of the most promising power sources for future-generation vehicles. They show important advantages over conventional drive systems, especially regarding: energy efficiency and fuel economy; emissions (ZEV, SULEV); noise emissions/comfort, and high flexibility regarding the primary energy source used. DaimlerChrysler has assumed a leading role in the development of FCVs (Fuel Cell Vehicles). A strategie alliance with Ballard Power Systems - a worldwide leader in the fuel cell technology - and Ford Motor Company provides important synergy effects and will help to advance this technology effectively to market maturity. For fueling fuel cell passenger cars, methanol has infrastructure- and storage-related advantages over pure hydrogen. The best fuel alternative for vehicles operated in fleets, instead, will be pure hydrogen. After having demonstrated the general feasibility of FCVs over the past five years, DaimlerChrysler is now carrying out extensive field tests. The driving experience already accumulated by our company, and also by customers in the frame of the P3 Bus Demonstration Program in Vancouver and Chicago, proves the reliability, durability and good driving performance of FCVs. Important additional experience will be gained from the operation of several FCV's in California starting next year. In this paper, test results obtained with two selected FCVs, NEBUS and NECAR 4, are described in detail. They are representative for the FCV technology in general and document the high technological maturity achieved. A commercial breakthrough of FCVs will be achieved only if they can offer clear comparative advantages over conventional vehicles. Experience shows that customers are not willing to pay much more for a solely environmental benefit. Advantages related to cost and performance, instead, play a much more important role in the car-buying decision. The progress made by DaimlerChrysler and its partners since 1994 in the development of FCVs is tremendous. However, we are still working on various aspects which require further improvement in order to guarantee a successful market introduction of FCVs. The most important ones are: cost reduction; reduction of weight and volume of FC systems; improvement of the driving dynamics, durability and reliability; development of cost-effective production technologies, and installation of a refueling infrastructure for methanol and hydrogen. Even though this represents a big challenge, DaimlerChrysler and its partners (among them Ballard Power Systems, dbb Fuel Cell Engines and ECOSTAR) are confident about developing suitable solutions to all above-mentioned issues. We see a tremendous potential in the fuel cell technology and are committed to commercialize it by the middle of the next decade - to the benefit of our customers and the environment.
First experiences with fuel cell demonstration vehicles
Erste Erfahrungen mit Brennstoffzellen-Demonstrationsfahrzeugen
1999
11 Seiten, 16 Bilder, 2 Tabellen
Conference paper
English
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