FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10 June 1999
NISSAN CLOSE TO PRODUCTION OF FUEL CELL VEHICLES
Nissan is road testing a new type of fuel cell vehicle. It is a step change in the practicability of the technology and could result in fuel cell vehicles appearing on roads as early as 2003.
Nissan’s fuel cell vehicle reacts water and methanol together to produce the hydrogen that all fuel cells need to create electrical power. The methanol system eliminates the need for storing hydrogen on board vehicles, which is seen as a drawback. Methanol is also highly practical because it can be produced relatively easily from natural gas and other sources.
Fuel cells are completely clean sources of energy, water vapour is the only waste product.
The methanol reaction, which creates the hydrogen for the fuel cell, is also very clean. It produces negligible nitrogen oxides (NOx) because it reacts at a low temperature. Hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions are also kept to low levels, making it possible to obtain exhaust gas as clean as the air.
This new vehicle has resulted from Nissan’s vigorous research programme into alternative-fuel and low-pollution vehicles, which address global environmental concerns.
This methanol fuel cell vehicle switches between fuel cell-power and battery- powered driving, depending on the operating conditions. In addition to the inherent high efficiency of the fuel cell, the vehicle’s kinetic energy is recovered during braking to enhance the energy efficiency of the entire system substantially.
Fuel cell vehicles are expected to increase fuel economy by two thirds compared with gasoline-powered vehicles.
ends…
For more information please contact:
Stewart McKee Manager, Corporate Affairs 01923 899936
e-mail stewart.mckee@nissan.co.uk
Frank Shepherd Press Officer, Corporate Affairs 01923 899935
e-mail frank.shepherd@nissan.co.uk
Editor’s notes
(1) Exhaust gas as clean as the air
A fuel cell is essentially a clean power source because it emits only water as a byproduct of electrochemical reactions. When methanol is reacted, the burner that supplies heat to the reactor emits exhaust gas, but the use of a catalyst in the conversion process achieves highly efficient combustion at low temperatures. As a result, virtually no NOx, CO, HC or other harmful substances are produced.
(2) Methanol is a promising substitute for petroleum
Methanol is produced from natural gas, which is expected to be a substitute fuel for petroleum in the future. It will be possible to produce methanol from renewable energy sources in the future, including biomass, hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas.
(3) Substantial improvement in fuel economy through optimum power control
The methanol fuel cell system provides electric power control by switching between a fuel cell-powered driving mode and a battery-powered driving mode according to the operating conditions. A neodymium magnet synchronous traction motor, lithium-ion batteries and other high-performance components have been used to achieve a more compact system that delivers enhanced efficiency. Moreover, the motor serves as a generator during regenerative braking to produce electricity for charging the batteries. This selective and optimal use of onboard power sources further enhances the practical efficiency of the methanol fuel cell system to achieve a substantial improvement in overall energy efficiency.
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