Volkswagen Research has developed a type of high temperature fuel cell (HTFC) that is one of a kind in the world. The high temperature fuel cell eliminates numerous disadvantages of low temperature fuel cells (LTFC) previously known and used in virtually every type of vehicle with this propulsion system.
The high temperature membrane developed by Volkswagen can in combination with newly designed electrodes be "driven" at temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius with no loss in performance. In the HTFC protons are exchanged via phosphoric acid. This acid has good electrolytic properties similar to water, yet demonstrates a higher boiling point. This is why a significantly simpler cooling system and water management is sufficient for the HTFC. And this significantly reduces the weight and costs. The space required for the fuel cell system is also lowered by more than 30 percent.
Volkswagen expects the HTFC will be powering the first research vehicles in 2010 and in production vehicles by 2020.
Volvo Car Corporation and AB Volvo (Trucks and Buses), are now setting up a joint Traffic Accident Research Centre in China. With its active traffic accident research, Volvo is continuing to acquire information and expertise in the drive to develop safer vehicles, while at the same time hoping to contribute to safer road traffic in the world’s most populous country.
This week, as the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority begins to test a new plug-in hybrid electric bus, University of Kansas engineers will help monitor how it performs and measure what impact it has on air quality.
The bus works by running on electricity until the battery is nearly depleted. Then it switches to a backup diesel engine and operates like a conventional diesel-electric hybrid. It is later plugged into an electrical outlet to recharge the battery. Using grid power for some of its operation significantly reduces its use of petroleum fuel.
Hybrid vehicles have been a niche market at best since their first introductions in the late 1990s. First developed by Toyota and Honda, the early systems were examined in detail by their competitors, and the conclusion was that the added complexity and weight would make the vehicles too expensive for all but wealthy consumers with an interest in preserving the environment.