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Nissan has recently developed and begun driving tests of a fuel cell vehicle equipped with a methanol reformer that produces hydrogen through the use of a catalyst to induce chemical reactions between methanol and water. With this onboard fuel cell system, only methanol in the form of a liquid fuel needs to be supplied, making the system highly practical as an automotive powertrain for near-future application. The Nissan Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) adopts a high-efficiency neodymium magnet synchronous traction motor combined with lithium-ion batteries that enable the vehicle to achieve optimum electric power by switching between a fuel cell-powered driving mode and a battery-powered driving mode. This presentation will cover the current status of the FCV development program and driving test results.

A new transparent type electrochromic device (ECD) has been developed. It consists of two electrochromic thin films facing each other, one of “prussian blue” (PB) and the other of tungsten trioxide (WO3). PB exhibits a high intensity of coloration and is blue in the oxidized state and transparent in the reduced state. By electrodeposition, the PB layer can be formed on large substrates at low cost. This ECD has been applied to large, curved automotive glass. It reversibly turns from dark blue to transparent at low operating voltage and maintains the same intensity of coloration without the aid of an external power supply. Compared with photochromic glass, it achieves a greater color change in a shorter time and its light absorption can be changed at will. It shields passengers from the discomfort of glare and heat flow through glass.