| Nissan showcases hydrogen fuel cell technology |
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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
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Posted: Monday, August 18, 2008 4:45 pm
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Congressman Gordon discusses Nissan’s hydrogen fueled vehicle with Nissan executive Steve Parrett
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The future of driving pulled into Nissan’s Smyrna assembly plant Monday afternoon.
The plant was a stop on the Hydrogen Tour to promote hydrogen fuel cell technology and zero-emission vehicles.
Rep. Bart Gordon was on hand to welcome the tour to Rutherford County and test-drive Nissan’s SUV, the X-Trail FCV.
“I was surprised with the good pick-up,” Gordon said. “You can go from a standing start and into traffic easily. If you didn’t know what you were driving, you couldn’t tell a difference between a traditional vehicle.”
That is, aside from the sound. The fuel-cell vehicles are surprisingly quiet, which stems from the use of an electric motor to power the cars.
Nissan’s X-Trail stores gaseous hydrogen onboard, similar to tradition cars and gasoline. The fuel-cell vehicle pulls in outside air, which is combined with the hydrogen to produce water.
This process produces electricity and steam, but no pollution, explained Brain Johnston, Nissan’s senior project engineer of electric and fuel cell vehicles.
“The electricity is what is used to drive the car down the road, as well as power other systems,” Johnston said.
The vehicles are still prototypes, but Nissan plans to have them in test markets in 2015.
The hydrogen can be produced from domestic renewable resources, explained Cheryl McQueary, deputy administrator of U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration.
McQueary added more than 90 million tons are produced annually now, which is enough to power 34 million vehicles.
But some ask if the hydrogen-powered cars will make an impact without existing infrastructure to get the fuel to the people.
“In this particular case, it needs to come in parallel,” McQueary said, meaning she doesn’t put weight in the chicken-egg argument.
She added there are 61 hydrogen-fueling stations across the country with more on the way.
“This is very important to our national security to become energy independent,” Gordon said. “It’s something we owe my 7-year-old daughter and your kids and grandkids.”
The Hydrogen Tour is a 13-day, 31-city trip from Portland, Maine, to Los Angeles and is designed to showcase the commercial viability of environmentally friendly fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs).
The tour is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, California Fuel Cell Partnership and the National Hydrogen Association.
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com. |
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