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November 7, 2006

GM Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars will be Cost Competitive in 2010

Source: Korea Herald


SHANGHAI - Hydrogen fuel cell cars will cost the same as their gasoline counterparts once they reach a production volume of 1 million units, General Motors Corp.`s head of research said yesterday.

"This would be just a ninth of the vehicles GM produces each year and one sixty-sixth of the total autos built worldwide," Larry Burns, General Motors Corp. vice president of R&D and strategic planning, told reporters attending the carmaker`s Tech Tour 2006 in the Chinese city. "Lack of scale is the primary reason for the high costs of fuel cell vehicles," he said.

GM aims to design and validate a fuel cell system that is competitive in terms of performance, durability and cost at volume of $50 per kilowatt (of power generated) by 2010.

Even if the technology is ready, mass production depends on having an affordable, safe hydrogen infrastructure which requires support from governments and energy companies, Burns said.

GM is looking for locations around the world where governments are moving forward.

The Korean government expects the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles around 2015. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said a total of 48 billion won, including 24 billion won of private capital, will be invested in the three years to 2008 to monitor fuel cells for transport.

"There should be international cooperation on this to prevent redundant investments," Burns said. GM has already invested over $700 million in fuel cell development.

He stressed that the hydrogen fuel cell is the ultimate answer for alternative propulsion systems because only it can solve the growing environmental problems such as carbon dioxide.

"Hybrids and bio-fuel vehicles are important bridges to hydrogen fuel cells," he said. "But they will be merely `reducing problems` and this won`t help because the number of cars continues to grow."

GM is striving to minimize the requirement of the costly platinum used in its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to cut production costs for commercialization.

"The key is to spread platinum on the fuel cell membrane as evenly as possible via a catalyst-thrift technology to meet cost and durability targets," Burns said. "We are also investing in other materials that can replace platinum."

Commenting on BMW`s planned introduction of a hydrogen car which burns hydrogen in an internal combustion engine, Burns said it is only half as efficient as the hydrogen fuel cell car.

"Twice as much hydrogen is required in an internal combustion engine," Burns said. "BMW is likely to see a wall on hydrogen storage because the vehicle would have to carry huge amounts of hydrogen - 16 to 20 kilograms - when a kilo of hydrogen would cost the same as a gallon of gasoline."

As for Honda`s FCX fuel cell concept, Burns said he sees it as a formidable rival. The Japanese carmaker expects to launch a limited number of the FCX in Japan and the United States from 2008.

The Chevrolet Sequel, showcased at the GM Tech Tour in Shanghai, is the first vehicle to integrate a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system with a broad menu of advanced technologies such as steer- and brake-by-wire controls, wheel hub motors, lithium-ion batteries and a lightweight aluminum structure.

"Sequel fundamentally changes the DNA of today`s automobiles, exchanging an internal combustion engine, petroleum and mechanical systems for fuel cell propulsion, hydrogen and electrical systems," Burns said. "Sequel embodies the convergence of the technologies that address the environmental issues amidst a growing number of cars which account for a third of the carbon dioxide around the world."

Compared to other fuel cell vehicles, Sequel has an unprecedented range of 480 kilometers between fill-ups and spirited acceleration reaching 100 km/h in just 10 seconds. It has a low-profile, skateboard-like chassis that houses all of its main propulsion, braking and chassis components including the fuel cell stack and the on-board hydrogen storage system.