Volvo C30 – Hydrogen prototypes
Two hydrogen prototypes of Volvo C30 will be released in 2012 for experimental purpose. This is going to be a new start for the Swedish Volvo company in the industry of alternative technologies, which can be an important step in the battle of stopping global worming. VOLVO C30 DRIVE Electric is an electric car on Li-Ion batteries, which have the capacity of a 150 kilometers-drive. Maximum speed it can reach is about 130 km/h and the acceleration from 0 to 100 km takes 10,5 seconds.
This type of technology is expected to augment the electric cars autonomy up to 250 kilometers in advance from what the actual accumulators offers. The experimental project is sustained by the Swedish Energy Agency and Power Cell, a Swedish company specialized in hydrogen technologies.
In the first phase, the project’s aim is to study upon the concept of range extender, a propulsion system composed of a fuel cell and a generator. The generator is supposed to decompose liquid fuel, in this case gasoline, in order to create hydrogen gas. The fuel cell transforms the hydrogen gas in electric energy for the car’s engine.
The range extender is already used by General Motors for the propulsion of Chevrolet Volt, but the technology used is simpler and cheaper. According to the Swedish auto producer, this type of technology is eco-friendly because it generates energy without exhaust gases such as carbon oxides (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulfur oxides (SOX) and other toxic particles. The process is one of the most efficient, so that the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are considerably reduced in comparison with those coming from conventional vehicles. The only emissions of the Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric are water and a small quantity of carbon dioxide. ”Barely have we done the first steps and it is normal to be premature to talk about introducing on the market the electric cars with range extender.
One decision upon industrialization of this technology will be made after we will find out some more about the fuel cells and the opportunities they offer.”, the CEO of Volvo Cars, Stefan Jacoby has declared. Statistics say that the industry of fuel cells will have a rapid development in the next few years, which is going to reduce the productions costs. Same predictions were recently made by General Motors.
Credit: Car-Addicts.com (www.car-addicts.com)
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