It was only a year ago that Suzuki Motor Corporation (7269:JP) started a joint venture to develop hydrogen fuel-cell systems for vehicles, and now it's starting production.
In cooperation with UK-based Intelligence Energy, Suzuki's SMILE FC this week cut the red tape on their first small-scale production facility for manufacturing air-cooled fuel cell systems and revolutionizing the hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle.
This is a major step towards the efficient and cost-effective production of fuel cell systems for clean energy vehicles.
Next to come is a larger-scale production line to further commercialization of the product.
According to an Intelligent Energy press release, "the partnership, materialized through SMILE FC System Corporation, represents the next stage in high volume production of fuel cell systems with associated reduction of manufacturing and assembly costs as well as improved cycle times and enhanced product quality."
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The production line is in Yokohama, Japan, and the end product promises to be affordable. The production line uses semi-automated technology developed by Intelligent Energy.
Who else is in on the game? Toyota, BMW, Daimler, Ford and Nissan. They're behind Suzuki, however, with 2015 as a target date for the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. BMW and Toyota are collaborating to develop fuel cell systems, while Daimler, Ford and Nissan have a three-way deal to commercialize their own fuel cell electric vehicle technology.
What this joining of forces among some of the car industry's top forces suggests is that they see a future in electric vehicles-even if the market doesn't see it just yet.
By. Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com
Charles is a writer for Oilprice.com More
Comments
The reason demand for oil is outstripping the ability to supply is as much to do with our instinctive, insatiable appetite for travel as much as anything else. We appear to be hard-wired for exploration and that would have been key in the evolution of human society.
This forms an important foundation for much of our economy today, especially in the service industries. Reduce the amount of recreational travel by even a small amount and our economies slide into recession. Problem is, there is no room for further hydrocarbon fuelled growth in travel and indeed, to me, the evidence is that it must shrink substantially over the next twenty years.
So where does this leave the recreational travel industry? They appear to be floundering around in the dark trying to convince us that there is no need to worry, it can all be sorted out by application of alternative technology - “don’t worry, keep shopping” is the mantra. The building of cars that are essentially supposed to be direct equivalents of the gas or diesel vehicles we are familiar with is all part of this game.
The truth is, there is no need to develop electric, hydrogen, wood fired or any other alternative vehicle because reality will force most of us out of our personal transport and off aircraft in the not too distant future and so these modes of transport will only be available to the elites of society. There will be sufficient oil to supply that limited demand – for some time anyway.
The auto industry should be concentrating on the sort of vehicle that may be viable – small lightweight two wheeled bikes and perhaps very simple lightweight four wheeled ‘boxes’, not 2 ton 4X4 gas guzzlers.
Your full of crap.
What your talking about would kill 99% of the people living on this planet because all...not some, not most, not almost all, but all of our society depends on mass transit for every single thing that is necessary to live within it.
Trust me...the powers that be that like their money an d their power are not going to let that happen.
What we are looking at with the global governments refusal to urgently address pollution and the consequential global warming, which is on track to increase global temperatures around 8*C at present, ... is the extinction of 90% of the worlds population, which will solve the planets problem of the disease of humanity, wont it? Then the survivors will eventually be able to live in harmony with nature after a few centuries, when the planet heals itself and gets back into equilibrium. Good isn't it?
Its clear to everyone the kind of society that has developed at present is not ok. The sooner it is extinguished, the better!