Nissan Unveils First Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Vehicle
Nissan has rolled out the world’s first solid-oxide fuel cell vehicle.
The Japanese automaker is the official automotive sponsor for this year’s Olympic Games in Rio 2016, and along with contributing a fleet of cars, it debuted a fuel cell prototype that forms part of Nissan’s ongoing commitment to the development of zero-emission vehicles. Called the e-Bio Fuel-Cell, the prototype runs on 100-percent ethanol to charge a 24-kWh battery that enables a cruising range of over 373 miles. The company plans on conducting further field tests on public roads in Brazil using the prototype.
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The base vehicle is a Nissan e-NV200 and has a 30-liter tank capacity. According to Nissan, “the powertrain is clean, highly efficient, easy to supply, and it runs on 100-percent ethanol or ethanol-blended water.” Nissan chose this direction due to the easy availability of ethanol and low combustibility of ethanol-blended water, meaning the system does not heavily rely on existing charging infrastructure. As a result, a vehicle like this would be easy to introduce to the market.
“The e-Bio Fuel-Cell offers eco-friendly transportation and creates opportunities for regional energy production…all the while supporting the existing infrastructure,” said Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “In the future, the e-Bio Fuel-Cell will become even more user-friendly. Ethanol-blended water is easier and safer to handle than most other fuels. Without the need to create new infrastructure, it has great potential to drive market growth.”
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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I'm glad to hear this (if it proves reliable, and has the kind of range promised from only 30 litres of fuel). I don't quite understand the part about the existing infrastructure though. It's not like I can pull up to the pure ethanol or ethanol/water tank in any corner gas station and fill it up, now is it? And if I have to buy it from Walmart in a 5 or larger gallon drum, mix it with water (or whatever the process would be), that's a big pain, especially in the winter. Is the implication that many or all gas stations will start having an ethanol or ethanol/water mix tank? If so, why don't they say that?