| FuelCellStocks.Com Fuel Cell News August 24, 2005 Emissions-neutral bike has feel of the future
The Warwick hotel was built in 1926 by William Randolph Hearst ostensibly -- rumour has it -- to house his mistress. Over the years, it has been a favourite of celebrities, including Elvis, the Beatles, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant (who lived there for 12 years) and Marilyn Monroe. Their photos are on the wall not far from my driving route. Far more remarkable, however, is the motorcycle I was riding. The ENV (Emissions Neutral Vehicle) is the world's first hydrogen fuel cell motorcycle. The 80-kilogram, futuristic-looking bike is powered by a one-kilowatt fuel cell married to an electric battery to produce six kilowatts -- enough to propel it to its 80-kilometres-an-hour top speed in about 12 seconds. Like all electric motors, maximum torque is available from a standstill, so it accelerates from zero to 30 km/h in about four seconds. Higher speeds (perhaps up to 160 km/h) are possible, but the ENV (pronounced "envy") was built to showcase the technology in a user-friendly package. It has one gear (direct drive from the electric motor to the rear wheel) and is as easy to ride as a moped -- just twist the throttle and go. Unlike a moped, however, the ENV emits just water vapour, and the only sound when it's running is the low hum of the fuel cell's two fans -- like a small humidifier. The fuel cell, or CORE as it's officially called, is the size and shape of a computer hard drive tower. At 18 kilograms, it can be easily removed from the bike and set on the ground, humming quietly. It's easy to imagine a future when you could drive the ENV to the lake, remove the CORE to run your boat and then use it again to power your cottage -- all the while serenaded with bird song and wind in the trees and not the drone of a loud engine. The ENV has a range of 160 km, depending on how heavy you are on the hydrogen. It generates power during coasting, so it's possible to stretch the range a little. The hydrogen to fill the tank costs about $3 US. And there's the rub -- like all hydrogen-powered vehicles, the problem is the accessibility of hydrogen. It's just not available -- yet. California, which is likely to be the major market for hydrogen vehicles, has six hydrogen refuelling stations and promises close to 100 by 2010. There are seven stations in Canada, says Richard Frye, program director for Fuel Cell Infrastructure at the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance (a branch of Natural Resources Canada). The stations (two in Vancouver, one in Victoria and four in Toronto) are for demonstration or experimental purposes and are not accessible to consumers. Other stations are planned for Prince Edward Island and Banff, Alta. "The network is in the very early stages," says Frye. "But it's a lot further along than it was four years ago." Andy Eggleston, ENV project director (the ENV was created in London by Intelligent Energy), envisions a fuel delivery system the same way milk is still home-delivered in some places. Even if that does happen, the other problem with hydrogen is that, using current technology, it's produced from natural gas, which burns fossil fuels and creates toxic greenhouse gases. Eggleston says the future will see biomass -- such as sugar cane, corn and soybeans -- easily converted to hydrogen, perhaps in your garage by something he calls a reformer. "It's a couple of years off," he says of the technology, "but it will take bio fuel and strip out the hydrogen. It will emit C02, but only what was contained in the plant and would have been released during decomposition." It almost sounds too good to be true. But Eggleston says Intelligent Energy has working units now. The reformer must clear several hurdles, including governmental approval and production issues, though, before it can be offered to the public. Eggleston estimates it will cost about $1,500 US -- a considerable investment, but he says it will lower the cost of fuel needed for the ENV from $3 US to 25 cents. Imagine that -- 160 km for a quarter. Eggleston also sees the technology as an opportunity to revive farming with increased demand for crops. Using Prairie corn to power vehicles is a wonderful concept and another reason technology such as the ENV looks like the future of personal travel. Intelligent Energy is betting on it. The company plans to sell the motorcycle next year for approximately $6,000 US. The bike I rode was one of two prototypes -- one glossy black and the other iPod white. The bikes were in New York after a press tour in California, where Eggleston says they were enthusiastically received. It's not hard to see why -- virtually soundless, cheap and easy to run, environmentally friendly and totally cool looking, they are certainly compelling. Though my test ride took place in the empty conference room of an old hotel echoing with history, all I could think about was the future.
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