Geneva Auto Show (cont.’d): Nuvera-Powered Sintesi Concept Says Fuel Cells Can be Sexy GENEVA - Ah, Bella Italia (and we don’t mean the pretty woman behind the wheel): If that other fuel cell car unveiled last month in Geneva, Morgan’s LIFECar, demonstrated fuel cell efficiency in a two-seater sports car, Italian automotive designer Pininfarina’s sleek Sintesi concept showed what’s possible in terms of an intelligent as well as esthetically pleasing overall concept.
Fuel Industry, Governments Must Step Up to Plate, GM’s Burns Tells NHA Conference SACRAMENTO, CA – A hydrogen fueling infrastructure for wide use of fuel cell-powered electric cars, trucks and buses can be commercially viable, and in the long term, customers “will not have to pay more per mile than they do for gasoline today.”
Fast Forward: Wall Street Journal Story's Accuracy Disputed “Bob got trapped,” was the curt comment by a General Motors research executive accompanying an internal company e-mail disputing the accuracy of a March 5 Wall Street Journal story from the Geneva Auto Show.
CARB Board Changes ZEV Numbers, Hopes to Gain Time For Wide Launch SACRAMENTO, CA – Befuddled, bothered and bewildered: That seems to be the general reaction among many of the players and observers to the decision late last month by California’s Air Resources Board (ARB) to change the number of zero-emitting cars required in the next decade.
Virgin Offers Fuel Cell Equinox Limos to Upper Class Flyers at LA Airport, Later in NY SOUTH NORWALK, CT – Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic Airways is moving into virgin territory (ugh) with its announcement last month that it will use initially three hydrogen-fueled Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell SUVs to ferry top-dollar Upper Class passengers to and from Los Angeles International Airport.
DoE News: Research Council, GAO Commend DoE’s H2 Work, But Point to Problems, Issues WASHINGTON, DC – Two recent assessments of the U.S. Energy Department’s transportation-related hydrogen energy efforts by the National Research Council (NRC) and by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) generally approve what’s been done and how it has advanced but they also point out problems and shortfalls and suggest some changes and improvements.
Eden Energy Proposes LH2/ Superconducting Magnet Onboard Energy Storage Device LITTLETON, CO – A small clean-energy company here that is working in fields as diversified as cryogenics and hydrogen as well as near-zero emission hydrogen-and-natural gas blends is proposing an innovative on-board electric energy storage system that straddles both.
Briefly Noted: U.S. Power Plant CO2 Increase Based on analysis of data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Washington, DC-based non-profit, non-partisan Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) says carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants climbed 2.7% last year, the biggest single-year increase since 1998.
Briefly Noted: Big Order for Ceramic Fuel Cells Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd., Noble Park, Victoria, Australia, says it has won what appears to be a stunningly large order: 50,000 of its 2kW micro-combined heat-and-power solid oxide fuel cells, ordered by Nuon, Holland’s largest energy company.
Briefly Noted: UTC Power Fuel Cell Plant Milestone UTC Power, South Windsor, CT reports one of its phosphoric acid stationary fuel cell systems, a PureCell® Model 200, has racked up more than 52,000 operating hours with its original stack, generating more than 10 million kilowatt hours.
Briefly Noted: Ballard/IdaTech Linkup Ballard Power Systems, Vancouver, has signed a three-year agreement with IdaTech plc., Bend, OR to provide its Mark 1020 ACSTM fuel cell stack to be integrated in IdaTech’s next generation of 250 W iGenTM backup and auxiliary power supply.
Briefly Noted: Possible Higher-Temp Hydride Superconductors Researchers at the University or Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, and at the Max Planck Institute of Chemistry, Mainz, Germany, have identified a new family of superconductors, so-called molecular hydrides, that may lead to better superconductor materials operating at higher temperatures.
Briefly Noted: Quantum/Boeing Project Irvine, CA-based Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. says its proposal for developing next-generation manufacturing technologies for hydrogen storage vessels has been selected by the Energy Department for final negotiations. Quantum is working with the Boeing Company.
Briefly Noted: Hydrogen Engine Center/Startech Algona, IA-based Hydrogen Engine Center, Inc., (HEC) a developer of hydrogen industrial i.c. engines, has announced a strategic alliance with Startech Environmental Corp., Wilton, CT.
Briefly Noted: Geothermal Association Urges New Program The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) is urging the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee to direct the U.S. Energy Department to start implementing legislation that would set up a new geothermal research program.
Briefly Noted: Online Hydrogen Reference Service Hydrogen Safety LLC, an East Hartford, CT based engineering consulting firm, has launched an online subscription-based reference service, “Hydrogen Your WayTM”.
Briefly Noted: New Fuel Cell Patent Website And in an effort help bring clarity to the proliferation of patents and patent claims, the Dayton, OH-based law firm Thompson Hine LLP has launched a fuel cell patent website containing an archive of U.S. patents and published patent applications.
Events The “First World Coal-To-Liquids Conference” will be held April 3-4 at the Meridien Montparnasse Hotel, Paris, France.
