Hybrids and Hydrogen | Green Energy News

July 31, 2005 – Vol.10 No.19

HYBRIDS AND HYDROGEN.

One million hybrid sales globally per year. That’s the sales goal for Toyota for early in the next decade. To meet that goal they’ll have to sell 600,000 hybrids a year in the U.S. And hybrid technology might be available for all Toyota models, trucks included.

Hybrid technology is here today. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is still a dream for the future.

GM and Toyota have decided to break up their fuel cell partnership agreement over a spat on technology sharing.

But GM, Honda and BMW will try a new partnership on hydrogen fueling technology. The first joint effort will be to find a way to safely supply, handle and store liquid hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles. For hydrogen to remain a liquid it must be stored at lower than minus 420 degrees F (lower than minus 250 degrees C). (Really, really cold.)

Aside from the problems of flammability of liquid hydrogen (definitely no smoking), a liquid hydrogen spill on flesh is not pleasant to say the least. Generally a full face shield, safety glasses, insulated or leather gloves, long-sleeved shirts, and pants without cuffs should be worn when dealing with liquid hydrogen.

Conceivably hydrogen filling station operators could offer protective Moon suits to drivers at self-serve retail operations. The corporate trio will have to do better than that if they expect this whole fuel cell/ hydrogen thing to work.

The three companies will work to standardize fuel nozzles, filler necks and other related equipment. The joint effort does not involve fuel cell vehicle development.