Fuel cells developed by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies powered the world’s first low-cost hydrogen car in London.

The car can travel 240 miles (390 km) on one small tank of hydrogen weighing only 2.2 lbs. and can be made available to consumers for just GBP200 ($315) per month.

Developed by Riversimple, the small two-seater zero-emissions hydrogen-electric car has a fuel consumption equivalent to 360 miles per gallon, six times better than today’s best available hybrid electric vehicles.

The car uses a 6-kW fuel cell from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. It maximizes energy efficiency by utilizing lightweight composite materials, eliminating mechanical components, and by networking fuel cells with ultra capacitors and 60% regenerative braking energy in one symbiotic system.

The fuel cell converts the chemical energy of hydrogen into usable electric energy without combustion with the only emission or by-product being water. With a smaller fuel cell consuming much less hydrogen, the vehicle no longer needs a large storage tank, which reduces the costs and complexities of the hydrogen system.

The Riversimple car will be commercialized internationally using an “open-source” production model inspired by the software industry, creating new entrepreneurial possibilities around the world and the promise of car manufacturing jobs within the communities where the vehicle is used. Because the car can be produced and maintained locally, the carbon footprint associated with century-old models of centralized car manufacturing and distribution is also significantly reduced.

-  Katrice R. Jalbuena

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Sources:

¹ http://www.horizonfuelcell.com/file/RiversimpleHorizon.pdf
² http://www.horizonfuelcell.com/index.htm