I was invited to a regional rendition of the GM collection recently. And it was exactly what you’d think, a collection of some of GM’s products. The vehicles included the Corvette Z06 and the new Chevrolet crossover utility, the Traverse, at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, IL.
But the car, or should I say the powertrain, of the not too distant was also there in the form of the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell. Here’s the deal. The Equinox is hydrogen powered; it is a zero gasoline, zero emissions vehicle. Well sort of, the exhaust is comprised of water.
Hybrids and diesels, no matter what way you cut it, are stopgaps until we find a new source of fuel. In other words, the world is going to run out of oil, which means no more gasoline or diesel fuel and it’s most likely to happen sooner rather than later.
I got a chance to drive the Equinox as well as ride in it and it was not an otherworldly experience. Aside from no engine noise, the thing responded pretty much like any other vehicle. Acceleration was surprisingly good.
As for the fuel cell, simply put, it converts hydrogen into electricity, thus making the Equinox an electric car that does not need to be plugged in. A kilo of hydrogen equals about one gallon of gasoline and the generation of Equinox Fuel Cell that I drove had a range of 170 to 190 miles.
And I was stunned to learn that the Chevrolet Equinox’s speed was electronically limited to 103 mph. That wasn’t because of any mechanical limitations; it was top speed the tires could take.
There are four challenges GM and others must conquer whe it comes to fuel cells: the range needs to be increased, hydrogen must be converted, a fuel distribution infrastructure must be set up and vehicle cost must be affordable.
A fuel cell powered vehicle for mass consumption is closer to reality than I thought.
Get more from http://www.chevrolet.com/
Frank S. Washington
Popularity: 1% [?]
Men Apparel
Men Shorts
Men Hoodies
Men Tank
Men Briefs
Men Denim