All Aboard GE’s Zero Emissions Hybrid Fuel Cell Bus
Today’s magazines, newspapers, and web pages are full of articles with concern over global warming and fossil fuel dependency. In addition, cities are challenged with meeting EPA clean air regulations and 2007 and 2010 that will bring new emissions standards to diesel vehicles. There is no doubt that a demand for alternative fuel vehicles is growing and I’m working with GE to help develop technologies to enable these alternatives.
Transportation in the US uses about 75% of the oil consumed annually. That’s about 15 MILLION barrels each DAY and almost 20% of the world’s total oil production! (1) http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/trend_4.pdf.
GE has been working with electric and hybrid vehicles for 30 years. It’s a great fit with our expertise in motors, controls and energy management. From trucks to buses and locos, the biggest challenge to hybridize is not necessarily technological: we have fuel cells, batteries, ultracapcitors, and motors that work – demonstration vehicles are on the streets today. The challenge is economics.
We’re looking at new ideas to get fuel savings with fewer batteries and less hardware. GE’s next big project is working with the Federal Transit Authority to build a prototype fuel cell bus using new components that greatly reduce the demand on the Ballard PEM fuel cell and recover braking energy using A123 Systems lithium-ion batteries.
Recently, Senator Hillary Clinton came to visit the Global Research facility and her first tour stop was to my FTA fuel cell bus project (see picture with this entry). I showed off our 1996 bus that will be turned into a rolling laboratory as the first phase and talked about our objectives and approach. I was impressed by her engagement and sincere interest in our work. We also discussed the economic and technical challenges behind fuel cell vehicles and she agreed that government cost share programs are keys to bringing advanced energy technologies to consumers.
I love working with technology that is going to make a difference in the world. Hybrids will enable us to get short-term reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and reduce oil dependency, but the technology developed also supports the long-range goals of plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells and electric vehicles. And, if you’re afraid of not being able to buy a fast “alternative future car”, join me and start saving your money for a new Tesla.
Hello, I have invented an engine that uses no fuel and gives off no heat DO you think you would be insterd in it ,None of the moving parts touch each other so theres no heat and once you state it, it just keeps going ,I think it could be uesd every where,execpt under water please let me know what you think I am not sure if this is the best way to contact some one but I do not have time to hunt down your R&D email .thank you