General Motors says evidence from its fleet of hydrogen cars shows the infrastructure is capable of supporting alternative power vehicles.
The automaker has been evaluating its fuel-cell fleet for some time globally and at its Mainz-Kastel Development Centre on the so-called ‘Lighthouse’ project in Berlin.
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“No longer is it engineers driving the cars, it is real people who are driving,” a GM technology spokesman told just-auto in Mainz. “The most important thing is the experience we have had so far, not only in Germany but on a global level, has clearly proven fuel cell cars and hydrogen infrastructure is ready, definitely.
GM co-operates with several fuel stations in Berlin for example and says the day-to-day suitability of hydrogen as fuel and the fuel cell for propulsion has proved successful. It notes however, the reliability of refueling station technology has proved lower than expected.
Fuel cell vehicles have not enjoyed the limelight that pure electric models have been subject to during the past few years and the GM spokesman noted more formal backing at a government level was still needed.
“The build up of hydrogen infrastructure is a bit underestimated at the moment – it still does not have the full support of government,” he said. “Let me say the official direction still needs some kind of additional support.”
Despite that caveat, GM says it remains convinced of the fuel cell project’s viability, noting it has stuck with the research through the particularly challenging economic climate of the past few years.
“Even during the tough days, we did not change the strategy,” said the GM spokesman. “We did not change the [undisclosed] budget – this is a clear sign” [of commitment].
GM was displaying its fuel cell technology on its HydroGen4 – and although it is remaining coy concerning the eventual price premium to be charged when the first hydrogen models arrive on the market – it concedes there could be a EUR10,000-EUR12,000 additional cost.
However GM was at pains to point out that despite an inevitable, initial extra cost, fuel cell technology implementation would represent a sea change in society’s attitude towards mobility.
“Fuel cell and hydrogen simply go beyond the car,” said the GM spokesman. “It is something we need from a society point of view – we are speaking about where the hydrogen is coming from.
“Is it derived from renewable energy sources? If so we could reduce C02 and perhaps [have] no C02 emissions at all. This is what we have to ask ourselves – for sure that will cost money.”
