EU Research Fosters Development of Fuel-less Car

31 May 2000

     Brussels - No noise, no pollution, no motor, high efficiency this could 
be the car that people will be driving in fiveyears if a new promising 
technology to fuel private cars and busses makes its way to the market.  
In fact, the so-called fuelcell car already exists as a prototype produced 
by several big motor vehicle manufacturers.  This technology was presented on 
Monday by EU research commissioner Philippe Busquin who is confident that 
"we are making real progress on the way to a means of transport that 
combines the comfort of a normal car (or bus) with zero pollution". 
The commissioner is equally impressed by the good cooperation between academia 
and industry in Europe and hopes that putting such a vehicle on the road 
will convince policy-makers and industry that they arelooking at a viable 
and sustainable new way of transport.

     According to EU projections for world energy demand, a worldwide 
economic growth of 3.3% in a business-as-usual scenario would double energy 
demand between 2000 and 2030 and double energy-related CO2 emissions from 
6.3 to 13 Billion tons of Carbon. Two-thirds of this increase can be 
attributed to developing industrial countries. This would clearly hamper 
the sustainability of Europe's development and prosperity. The European 
Commission has therefore supported fuel cell research since 1988. In fact, 
the budget spend has developed from 8 million Euro in the Second Framework 
Programme (1988-1992) to 54 million Euro in the Fourth Framework Programme 
(1994-1998). In the currently running Fifth Framework Programme 
(1998-2002), 28 million Euro have been allocated so far.

     As with all new technologies there are however drawbacks that will have 
to be addressed: at the moment these cars are still much more expensive than 
traditional cars and have a range of 450 km for cars and about 200 km for 
busses.  Also those new cars need hydrogen to work, which is flammable 
and, when accidentally coming into contact with air, can explode.  Scientific
risk assessments and test conducted by the EU's Joint Research Centre in 
Ispra have however, come to the conclusion that this risk is neither 
unacceptable nor unmanageable and can be compared to the risks involved in the 
use of gasoline. Finally, a political decision needs to be made concerning 
the supply and distribution (pumping station network, quality standards, tax
incentives) of hydrogen. The great advantage of hydrogen is that it can be 
produced from many sources, such as natural gas, oil, methanol, bio-ethanol, 
solar and wind energy, and even coal. This gives considerable flexibility to 
the energy/hydrogen provider, makes energy supply less dependent on one source 
and gives a political choice to states, regions and communes as to how 
sustainable their energy and fuel supplies should be.

     Automotive manufacturers have clearly recognised the potential of fuel 
cells and are undertaking major efforts to reduce the current high cost for 
car engines of about 5000 Euro per Kilowatt to 50-100 Euro per Kilowatt, 
which is the cost of a conventional car. The first commercially viable 
production of such fuel cells is scheduled for 2003/2004; a private car would
then cost a maximum of 10 % more than a normal car.

     At the moment, the hydrogen is stored in a tank either as a very cold 
liquid (-250 °C) or in compressed form (300 bar). Much research effort is 
now invested into storing hydrogen in tiny carbon tubes, which would mean a 
safe on board storage with a much larger range.

     Roughly speaking, the fuel cell technology works as follows: Hydrogen is 
pumped into the fuel cell, which is a stack of polymer membranes and graphite 
or stainless steel plates, using an electro-chemical reaction to make electricity 
and, in the case of power stations, heat. The only substance emitted in the 
process is water vapour. The fuel cell works very much like a battery except 
that it does not store energy. In the case of power stations supplying 
electricity and heat can be done with great efficiency: 60-85% compared to 
about 40% for conventionally fired power stations Hydrogen fuelled car have an 
efficiency of 35 % compared to 20-24 % in normal cars.

     The new technology was presented in Brussels during a conference on 
European fuel cell research where several cars and busses could be seen in 
action.