 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell
Project Driveway
Beginning early next year, General Motors will be lending 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicles to `everyday` American families as well as to a few celebrities and politicians.
Besides the public relations value - hence the celebrities and politicians - GM will also be gathering feedback on how people use the vehicles, how easy they find fueling them, and how they like driving them day-to-day.
Over a 30-month span, vehicles will be lent for 3-month periods to various households in the New York City, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. areas.
What those families will find is an experience that, except for fueling with pressurized gas and an awkward bump in the cargo space, is very much like driving a nice crossover SUV. But this one has water vapor for exhaust and zero engine noise.
Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell
Fuel cell stack
The Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle runs entirely on hydrogen. But, unlike some hydrogen-fueled cars, the Equinox doesn`t burn hydrogen like gasoline.
The Equinox uses a fuel cell that runs hydrogen across membranes, which combine it with oxygen from the air to create water. Each water molecule that`s created pops loose one unneeded electron. That flow of electrons is what powers the car.
But creating pure hydrogen - it`s usually separated from water or natural gas - requires power itself. That power usually comes from electricity, so some critics say hydrogen power won`t do away with the vehicle`s impact on the environment and will instead just shift the problem elsewhere.
Hydrogen fuel cell supporters counter that fuel cells are much more efficient than internal combustion engines, so less hydrogen is needed than an equivalent amount of gasoline. Also, electrical generators are much more efficient, so getting power from electricity - whether its by plugging into an outlet or separating hydrogen - is a big improvement over internal combustion.
Finally, hydrogen power would at least take cars out of the environmental equation, simplifying efforts to reduce emissions.
Some of the electricity from the fuel cell goes directly to the Equinox`s electric motor, driving the front wheels. Some is stored in a battery for use during acceleration or whenever an extra power boost is needed.
The Equinox Fuel Cell is surprisingly pleasant to drive. Its steering has a nice feel to it, and its center of gravity is lower than a regular Equinox.
Acceleration feels adequate, athough the Equinox`s `official` zero-to-60 time is a poky 12 seconds. GM says it`s really a little over 10 seconds in a brand new vehicle.
Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell
Dripping exhuast
In case people might not realize this is no ordinary crossover SUV, GM slathered decals depicting water molecules all over the Equinox Fuel Cell and added a couple more stickers at the back letting everyone know it uses `No gasoline` and emits `ZERO emissions.`
But there are more subtle, and functional, cues. The tailpipes, for example, are melded right into the body work at the rear of the car in a way a regular vehicle`s tailpipes wouldn`t be. These tailpipes never get hot, since the only thing that passes through them is cool water vapor.
Up front, the Equinox`s extra-large grill opening and the big vents under the headlights are there because, even though the exhaust is cool, the fuel cell does create heat. In a regular car, the tailpipe carries away about a third of that excess heat.
Since the Equinox`s exhaust doesn`t take away any heat, the fuel cell vehicle requires extra cooling area up front.
Read more at: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/autos/0710/gallery.chevrolet_equinox_fuel_cell/index.html
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