March 2007

E-Mail This Article Printer-Friendly Version

Look for General Motors to show off its latest, smallest automotive fuel cell module in China: GM is expected to unveil its newest version just before or at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show April 22-28, possibly as power plant for its new, electric-drivetrain “Volt” (H&FCL Jan. 07). The Volt is an example of mix-and-match power-by-wire automotive architecture, where a variety of power plants - small i.c. hybrid, diesel, fuel cell - can be dropped in to make it go. From what H&FCL has heard it’s not clear, though, whether this will be the fourth-generation fuel cell stack which GM presented last fall during a demo event for reporters in California, propelling both the fuel cell “Sequel” and the fuel cell “Equinox” (H&FCL Oct. 06), or whether it would be a further advanced fifth generation discussed at that session. GM executives said then the fifth generation would be half as big and heavy, and rated at 2.9 kW/liter it would be almost as powerful as the previous one.