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The Morgan LifeCar has taken number of years in the making, but eventually a model has come to life at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. The two-seater is actually based upon the concept of producing fun-to-drive zero emission vehicles. Morgan LifeCar can speed up from 0 - 60 mph in just 7 seconds and it has a top speed of 90 mph with the use of its small fuel cell and ultra capacitors. Depending on the utilization, this hydrogen hybrid car runs with a range of around 200 - 250 miles. It has an electric motor in each wheel for special handling. Morgan LifeCar also makes use of regenerative braking in order to recharge the electrical system. |
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The FCX Clarity is a zero-emission, hydrogen-powered fuel cell car which was rolled out at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show and made available to the customers in 2008. The car however, carries new bumpers and smaller wheels, which differentiate it from its previous 2005 prototype in external looks. The Honda FCX Clarity is motorized by a 100 kw V-Flow fuel cell stack, a lithium-ion battery set (which is 50 percent smaller than on the current FCX) ,a 95 kw electric motor, and 5,000 psi compressed hydrogen gas storage tank that gives in a range of 270 miles. As soon as one turns the ignition key, it can certainly be noticed that the fuel cell is much calmer than the concept car which actually inspired it. The interior of the FCX Clarity is eco-friendly as upholstery on the seats and door coatings are made from bio-fabric that is long-lasting and helps to lessen CO2 emissions. The FCX Clarity has been passed all safety and emissions standards made by CARB and EPA. Nevertheless, the ride of the car is somewhat tough as it has rigid anti-roll bars and also bounces along undulated roads; no doubt on smoother surfaces the car runs fantastically. |
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The Ford Model U, which was first launched in 2003, is an SUV that burns up hydrogen in its internal combustion engine. The car uses 2.3-liter, I-4 engine, as like as the Ford Ranger of the same year, only adapted to run on hydrogen gas. The car achieves gas mileage of 45 MPGe and has a range of 300 miles along with supercharged engine which is rated at 151 hp. Adjacent to the high-tech hydrogen technology, the Ford Model U uses eco-friendly materials and methods to manufacture many of the components for the vehicle. For instance, the car has corn-based Goodyear tires along with the canvas roof and carpet mats which are also based upon corn biopolymers. The only problem faced by the car is browsing of the line workers upon the components which are made of polylactide or PLA, a nutrient to the soil. |
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The Ford Focus FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) is Ford's most current hydrogen car. This is where Ford thought that there is some future lying for them as the Ford Focus FCV is where the future of the automobile industry is directed within the next 5 - 10 years. The Ford Focus FCV is power-driven by a Ballard 902 Fuel Cell, Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) stack. It is a bit different than other hybrid or bi-fuel vehicles. It does not run directly on hydrogen like the BMW HR2 does instead it is powered by electric motor and obtains its electricity from two sources. The first source is the fuel cell and the second the H2 car's battery pack. The car has 5000 psi pressurized hydrogen tank that discharges H2 into the fuel cell stack. Its here where the hydrogen is provisionally separated into protons and electrons, generating electricity, then combined with oxygen from the air to create the vehicle's only byproduct, water. The car actually symbolizes Ford’s commitment to progress use and development of alternative-fuel technologies. |
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The BMW Hydrogen 7 is a luxury automobile that knocked the streets in April 2007. In a race with Mazda to fetch the first commercial hydrogen cars to market, BMW must have taken the lead in launching its first 7-Series production hydrogen vehicles USA and Germany. Hydrogen 7, unlike other hydrogen cars is power-driven by a 12-cylinder internal combustion engine (ICE). The BMW Hydrogen 7 also produces 260 hp, goes faster from 0 - 60 mph in just 9.4 seconds and runs on liquid hydrogen fuel, a replacement for compressed hydrogen which is typically used in fuel cell vehicles. The vehicle's top speed by electronic means is restricted to 143 mph. The BMW Hydrogen 7 being a dual-fuel vehicle is capable of running on either hydrogen or gasoline only you have to do is just press the button on the steering wheel. Even when you switch between the two modes, the engine torque and its activeness continue to be the same. In addition to this the car automatically switches on the either mode identifying the ongoing mode of course. The car also possesses additional features such as- Soft Close Automatic for the doors, mirrors with auto anti-dazzle and Park Distance Control. However, the car has a problem that it supplies less hydrogen and its production require huge amount of energy. Eco-friendly production of liquid hydrogen on a large scale thus assumes an unlimited supply of ecologically produced electricity which is not something likely to materialize in the near future. |
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