General Motors conducted two well‐to‐wheel studies for fundamental clarification on the question of which is the cleanest and most environmentally sustainable source of energy for the mobility of the future. In both studies the complete energy chains were analyzed from fuel production using primary energy to the actual consumption of the fuel in the car, i.e. from the well up to the wheels of the vehicle (well to wheel). The aim of the studies was to evaluate total energy consumption on the one hand and, on the other, the total greenhouse gas emissions arising between the production of a fuel and its final use to power an automobile. The results of the studies clearly show that fuel cell vehicles can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars or, if they run on hydrogen from renewable energy sources, they can eliminate them entirely. Regenerative fuels, however, will be more expensive than current products. With the fuel cell, because of its superior efficiency (35 – 45% less energy consumption well to wheel), it will be possible to keep individual mobility affordable in the future.
General Motor's concept vehicle HydroGen3, based on the Opel Zafira production model, represents the third generation of fuel cell concept vehicles. Groundbreaking new technical and engineering improvements have been reached, e.g. the integration of the latest generation of fuel cell stacks. The fleet demonstrations will start this year. Given the current stage of development at GM/Opel, hydrogen‐powered automobiles could be mass‐produced in about eight years. An efficient fuel cell technology suitable for everyday use is the essential pre‐condition for the development of an alternative propulsion system, which would replace the classic crude oil‐based fuels for the vehicles of the future. However, this technology alone is not sufficient to establish fuel cell automobiles as viable substitutes for conventional vehicles with gasoline and diesel engines. Factors such as purchase price, safety, engine performance and driving dynamics also play a decisive role for the customer. General Motors (GM) has therefore invested more than one billion dollars to develop an automobile incorporating state‐of‐the‐art fuel cell technology with vehicle characteristics suited to the marketplace. The hydrogen concept vehicle HydroGen3 (Figure 1) marks the newest and most comprehensive advance made by GM/Opel on the road to fuel cell vehicle market readiness. Test drives conducted by an international group of expert journalists at the Grand‐Prix course in Monte Carlo in December 2002 confirmed that the HydroGen3 has brought mass production of hydrogen‐fuelled automobiles within reach.
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