Green Energy News | February 11, 2001

February 11, 2001 – Vol.5 No.46

ENERGIES... week of February 11, 2001

HONDA’S NEW FCV ENTRY. Equipped with a fuel cell stack of its own design, Honda has added a new edition of its FCX-V3 fuel cell vehicle to the fleet at the California Fuel Cell Partnership. Previous Honda FCV’s have used Ballard stacks. This latest test vehicle, which is based on Honda’s EV Plus battery electric, has improved performance thanks in part to the inclusion of a Honda-developed ultra capacitor in the drive system for better acceleration. Start-up time has also been reduced from 10 minutes in some previous Honda FCV’s to 10 seconds in this car.

Other specifications include a maximum speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) and a vehicle weight of 1750 kg (3860 lbs). The FCX-V3 runs on compressed hydrogen stored at 3674 psi in a 100 liter (26 gal) tank. The fuel cell’s power output is 70 kW and the vehicle’s electric motor maximum power is 60 kW (about 80 hp), but with 238 Nm (175 ft/lb) of torque.

Honda calls its stack a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) which is technically the same as a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Visit Honda at http://www.honda.com/ and the Partnership at http://www.fuelcellpartnership.org/ .

RESTORED HISTORIC EV. Ahead of its time in the 1960’s Renault offered an electric version of its then popular Dauphine. Now, they’re back. Feel Good Cars of Toronto, Ontario is offering restored and electrified Dauphines of the period. With prices - depending on equipment - of $13,000 - 16,250 (less tax breaks) the perky, quaint EV seems appealing. Feel Good claims the Dauphine Electric will travel 80 kilometers (50 miles) on a charge and has a top speed of 100 kph (62 mph).

The Dauphine is intended for urban drivers who rarely travel more than 80 kilometers per day. Visit Feel Good at http://www.feelgoodcars.com/ .

WORLD RENEWABLES. Argentina will see $2.25 billion invested in wind energy during the next 9 years. The Argentine Minister of Economy has signed an investment agreement with Enarsa (Energias Argentinas), which is owned by Spanish companies Endesa and Elecnor, to build 300 megawatts of wind power and infrastructure in three provinces by the end of 2002. In the agreement another 1200 megawatts would be installed by 2006, and yet another 1500 megawatts by 2010 - a total of 3000 megawatts. Current electricity demand in the nation is 14,000 megawatts.

In the UK, British Energy has partnered with Renewable Energy Systems (RES) to create Offshore Wind Power Ltd. which will pursue the same. RES already has developed 1100 megawatts of land-based wind energy in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. The first offshore wind park will be at Crown Estate in the UK.

Suncor Energy, better known by brand name Sunoco, has invested $3 million in renewable energy developer Northern Power Systems. The two companies have signed a letter of intent to form a partnership which will jointly develop large scale wind and other renewable energy projects in Canada. Last year Suncor pledged to invest $100 million by 2005 in green energy.

Visit British Energy at http://www.british-energy.com/, RES at http://www.res-ltd.com/, Suncor at http://www.suncor.com/ and Northern at http://www.northernpower.com/ .