GM Shows Latest Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Hydrogen Powered Fuel Cell Vehicles Are Key to Many of Today's Challenges

OEM's Depend on Government's and Infrastructure Companies' Support

TOKYO, Oct. 17 -- At a technical seminar in Tokyo, GM announced today its vision of tomorrow's transportation, and showed its latest, benchmark setting fuel cell vehicles and other cutting-edge fuel cell technology.

GM believes that hydrogen-powered, energy efficient fuel cell vehicles will be the future choice of transportation to meet the environmental goals that society seeks. The world's largest vehicle manufacturer is committed to taking the automobile out of the environmental debate and to securing sustainable transportation for future generations by using hydrogen, produced through renewable resources that reduce overall emissions to harmless water vapor. However, GM and other auto companies cannot develop a global hydrogen economy without the help of some key stakeholders like governments and energy companies. GM showed its new, state-of-the-art prototype fuel cell vehicle. The HydroGen3, which is the first fuel cell vehicle to operate without a buffer battery, is making its Asian premiere. The HydroGen3 is GM's latest example of fitting passenger cars with an environmentally compatible, resource-saving fuel cell propulsion system. Compared with its predecessor HydroGen1, which set a total of 15 international records for fuel cell vehicles in high-temperature tests in Arizona earlier this year, the drive train of this new fuel cell vehicle has been improved significantly to allow optimum packaging, easier day-to-day use and to achieve better performance. To introduce fuel cell technology to the marketplace while the hydrogen economy is evolving, GM believes a clean hydrocarbon fuel is the answer for a bridging period of time. The existing gasoline infrastructure can thus be used by both internal combustion engine and fuel cell vehicles. In Tokyo, GM showed the world's first fuel cell vehicle with an on-board hydrocarbon fuel processor. The vehicle is based on the Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. GM's Gen III processor, fueled with a clean hydrocarbon fuel, already reaches a peak efficiency of 80 percent. The centerpiece of a fuel cell vehicle is the fuel cell stack. GM is developing its own stack technology and showcased the world's most powerful fuel cell stack, boasting an industry-best 1,75 kilowatts per liter. This extraordinarily high power density enables excellent packaging opportunities for vehicles and stationary power units, because more power can be packed into a smaller, lighter stack. GM is pursuing a wide range of hydrogen storage systems, covering storage of hydrogen in liquid and compressed forms as well as solid state material for hydrogen adsorption such as carbon in sodium-aluminium-hydride and nano-structure morphology. In addition to vehicles, GM also has applied its state-of-the art fuel cell stack and fuel processing technology into a stationary unit to demonstrate a new way to generate electricity using presently widely available fuels like natural gas. GM's remarkable achievements also are based on partnerships and alliances with leading companies in the fuel cell industry and in the energy sector. At the same time, GM is ready to share its expertise and education with its partners in the automotive industry as well as with companies in other sectors. The latest members of GM's ever-expanding global team of partners announced today in Tokyo are Suzuki Motor Corporation and Hydrogenics, who join strategic and cooperation partners Quantum Technologies, General Hydrogen, Giner Electrochemical Systems, Toyota Motor Corporation, Exxon-Mobil and others.