Even though they aren't anticipated to be available for sale until 2010, fuel cell vehicles could change the way we live and think about transportation. This innovative new technology has the ability to slash our consumption of energy use, clean up the environment, and make us less dependent on foreign oil. Fuel cell cars are advantageous in other ways, too.
The vehicles we are used to driving around today use internal combustion power, but fuel cell cars work in a completely different way. Electric motors power these vehicles. But unlike hybrid cars, the electricity actually comes from the car itself instead of an outside source like an outlet. Fuel cells in the car generate electricity using the chemical reactions between hydrogen fuel and oxygen found in the air.
It's possible to fuel them using pure hydrogen gas that is held in high-pressure tanks that are stored onboard. Hydrogen-rich fuels like natural gas, methanol, and gasoline can also be used to fuel a fuel cell vehicle, though they will need to be converted into hydrogen gas first, which is accomplished by the "reformer," an onboard device created for this task.
Fuel cell vehicles fueled with pure hydrogen emit no pollutants; only water and heat; while those using hydrogen-rich fuels and a reformer produce only small amounts of air pollutants. In addition, fuel cell vehicles can be twice as efficient as similarly sized conventional vehicles and may also incorporate other advanced technologies to increase efficiency.
There are some industry related requirements for fuel cell vehicles to become part of everyday life at local auto dealers. First, we need a lot of research and development to reduce the cost and improve performance of these vehicles. The second consideration is that we need cheap and effective ways to store hydrogen and alternative fuels.
The current fuel cell rush is being backed by everybody from governments to commercial interests and car manufacturers. The Californian Fuel Cell Partnership is working with the FreedomCAR and the D.O.E to fast track the development of fuel cell vehicles.
Fuel cell vehicles aren't readily available because technology is still in the process of creating the ideal one. It's simply a matter of time, however. Soon advertisers will flood us with pleas to forsake our gas guzzling vehicles and make the switch to the 'greener' option.
It is possible for each one of us to help heal our planet by simply using a fuel cell vehicle. Our planet has been bombarded with the effects of transportation, and now global warning and ozone depletion are realities that must be confronted. When we switch to fuel cell vehicles and alternative fueled vehicles, we become part of the social and economic trend of the future.
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