Nissan Motor is planning to introduce a new hydrogen fuel cell vehicle by 2015.
This was revealed in Japan as the automaker displayed its next-generation fuel cell stack claiming the hydrogen cell has the industry’s best power density for its size.
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Nissan said there is 250% more storage capacity in its latest hydrogen fuel cell. The new version is smaller and lighter than before at 90lb.
Its third-generation fuel cell stack has an improved MEA (membrane electrode assembly) halved in size.
The cost to make a hydrogen cell is approximately US$50,000. But the automaker is confident that, by further increasing the storage capacity, the cost can be cut.
The cost of automaker’s current hydrogen-powered car has been estimated at around $128,000 but the price should have fallen by 2015.
Nissan is ready to start selling these vehicles by 2016 but is waiting for the US to ensure a hydrogen-refuelling infrastructure is in place to support them.
Toyota and Honda, both based in Torrance, south of Los Angeles, have fuel cell cars on test in the US and currently share a Shell hydrogen refuelling station built on land leased from Toyota.
