Fuel cells start to look real
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Hyundai Santa Fe FCEV
Hyundai signed an agreement with International Fuel Cells (IFC), a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. to incorporate IFC's fuel-cell powerplant in its SUV demonstrator program. "We will remove the IC engine from our new Santa Fe sport utility vehicle and replace it with a fuel-cell system from IFC," said Young-Woo Kim, President of Hyundai America Technical Center. Initially, the agreement calls for development of two of the prototype Santa Fe fuel-cell SUVs. The agreement may be extended to produce an additional two vehicles. All will be used to demonstrate the technology and for testing in real-world driving situations.
 Hyundai Santa Fe FCEV incorporates an International Fuel Cell powerplant. |
The 75-kW fuel-cell system developed by IFC will use hydrogen as its fuel. IFC says that its system will have a greater power density than fuel-cell systems that have been tested in cars in the past; that means the system will have greater power in a smaller package. In addition, it will have substantially greater efficiency because it uses a near ambient pressure system, according to the company. "We expect the performance of the fuel-cell Santa Fe to exceed that of our standard model," Kim said, "making this Santa Fe the first high-performance fuel-cell SUV. By eliminating the high-pressure requirements of other fuel cells, IFC has created a system that is much simpler. Eventually, that will translate into lower costs for the consumer."
The fuel-cell system to be used in the Santa Fe SUV will contain a single "stack" of fuel cells. It will use a conventional automobile battery for startup. Enova Systems of Torrance, CA, will supply the electric drivetrain and power management systems for the vehicles. Together, IFC and Hyundai will spend $40 million over the next three years to build the prototype. Last year, Hyundai struck a supply deal with Ballard for testing of its fuel cells.
IFC's parent, United Technologies Corp., and the U.S. Department of Energy have successfully demonstrated the world's first gasoline-powered fuel cell, according to recent reports. United Technology also says it has formed joint ventures with a unit of Royal Dutch/Shell Group and Toshiba Corp. to develop and market fuel cells and components with its IFC unit.
