Lotus builds hydrogen fuel cell taxi for London 2012

The sound of squeaking plastic parts is a minor irritant as the black cab surges into a sharp corner, its body leaning heavily.

Normally, at high speed, the rattling would have been drowned out by a rumbling, whining diesel engine.

But this taxi is different.

It is a hydrogen-powered London cab, developed to showcase zero exhaust emission vehicles during the 2012 London Olympics.

The taxi has been put together by Lotus, a UK company more famous for its Formula 1 team and for making sports cars such as the Elise.

Long-range electric motoring

From the outside, the taxi looks like any other black cab and it weighs as much too - a whopping 2.6 tonnes.

But driving it at the Lotus test track in Norfolk feels completely different as it accelerates from 0-60mph (0-100km/h) in 15.5 seconds - slow compared with most cars, but a full seven seconds quicker than an ordinary black cab.

Under the taxi's familiar exterior - within its generous bulk - the truly special bits are hidden.

The back wheels of the taxi are powered by two electric motors - though it is not an electric car in the conventional sense of the term.

Dr Ashley Kells, programme manager at Intelligent Energy Dr Kells says fuel cells deliver electricity, similar to the way a battery does

Yes, the taxi has a lithium polymer battery that delivers electricity to the electric motors, but this is not its main source of power.

The cab also has a stack of fuel cells that convert energy from hydrogen, which is stored in a tank under the car's bonnet, into electricity.

The electric motors can be powered by either the fuel cell system, or by the battery, or by a combination of the two.

During braking the battery, which is located in the middle of the taxi under the floor of the cabin, is recharged by two sources:

* surplus electricity created by the fuel cells is sent to the battery
* kinetic energy captured during braking is sent to the battery from the back wheels, via the electric motor.

With two different power sources - fuel cell system and battery - the taxi could be described as a hybrid vehicle, but again, not in the conventional sense of the term, which usually refers to petrol-electric hybrids.

Technology showcase

The point of all this is to create a car with zero emissions; or rather, the taxi does not have an exhaust pipe as it only emits water vapours.

Now, whether that makes it green is another matter.

Hydrogen is made by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, but this process is energy intensive.

If it is done with the help of renewable energy sources such as wind turbines, the car will be green, though in practice the hydrogen is more likely to be produced using fossil fuels such as gas.

So rather than being seen as a green car, it is perhaps more apt to see the taxi as a marketing vehicle.

"The black cab is a good tool for us to demonstrate the technology," says Dr Ashley Kells, programme manager at Intelligent Energy, the company that developed the cab's fuel cell system.

A fuel cell is "very much like a battery" in that it delivers electricity, according to Dr Kells, though there is one major difference: recharging a battery is a slow process, whereas refuelling a hydrogen tank is not.

"And as long as you keep on providing fuel for the cell, it will keep on providing power," he explains.

Five-minute fill
Power reserve gauges The electric motors are powered by either the fuel cells or the battery

For London's cabbies, the fuel comes in the form of gaseous hydrogen that is pumped into a tank under the taxi's bonnet.

"The fuelling is very quick," says Dr Kells as he demonstrates how the fuel connector is fixed to the taxi whilst fuelling to make sure the hydrogen gas does not leak.

There is another crucial difference between fuel cells and batteries, he adds, namely "the energy density of a fuel cell system, which is a lot greater than current battery technology".

In other words, electric cars powered by fuel cells carry much less weight and deliver much greater range.

One tank of gaseous hydrogen gives the taxi a range of at least 160 miles, or up to 240 miles if driven carefully, so the cabbies should be able to do what they do in conventional taxis, namely fill up in the morning then drive all day.

"They go to the filling station and five minutes later they've got a tank full of fuel and a copy of the Daily Star from the garage," says Dr Kells.

As a marketing vehicle, the taxi has a role to play in the enormous PR machine that has grown up around the 2012 London Olympics.

By then, there will be a handful of hydrogen fuel cell taxis in London, served by six hydrogen filling stations that they will share with at least five hydrogen fuel cell buses.

"We're not just doing this as a one-off," says Dr Kells, insisting the project offers "a real, tangible solution for 2020".

By then, London Mayor Boris Johnson wants every taxi operating in London to deliver zero exhaust emissions.

However, for engineers at Lotus, who are more accustomed to working with ultra-light cars such as the 1.1 tonne Lotus Elise, this is just the beginning.

They hope to push the project further and develop lighter, more efficient taxis in the future.

"I would really have liked to do it with a new chassis to make it an optimally system," says Steve Doyle, chief engineer, hybrid and electric vehicle integration, Lotus Engineering.

Dr Jon Moore, communications director and one of the founders of Intelligent Energy, agrees.

"If we can do it with this, we can do it with anything," he says.

How the taxi works

Hydrogen fuel cell powered taxi graphic

1. The taxi is powered by a stack of fuel cells that get their fuel from a hydrogen gas tank under the bonnet
2. The fuel cells convert the energy stored in the hydrogen into electricity, which drives two electric motors that drive the two back wheels
3. The electricity stored in the battery is then used to supplement the electricity from the fuel cells to propel the car forward
4. During braking, the energy from the fuel cells is not needed so it is instead channelled into a battery. The battery also gets energy from the wheels during braking

Scotch whisky developed as “super biofuel” to power cars

Cars may soon be fuelled on whisky after a university programme developed a “super biofuel” made from the by-products of the spirit's distillation process.

Edinburgh Napier University has announced it has filed a patent for the new biofuel which, according to its scientists, could help the EU meet its target of 10% of renewables in all transport fuel by 2020 and can be used in ordinary cars without any special adaptions.

The innovative fuel process has been developed over the last two years by Napier’s Biofuel Research Centre.

As part of their research, the centre was provided with samples of whisky distilling by-products from Diageo’s Glenkinchie Distillery.

The £260,000 research project was funded by Scottish Enterprise’s ‘Proof of Concept’ programme.

The Edinburgh Napier team focused on the £4bn whisky industry as a ripe resource for developing biobutanol – the next generation of biofuel which gives 30% more output power than ethanol.

It uses the two main by-products of the whisky production process – ‘pot ale’, the liquid from the copper stills, and ‘draff’, the spent grains, as the basis for producing the butanol that can then be used as fuel.

With 1,600 million litres of pot ale and 187,000 tonnes of draff produced by the malt whisky industry annually, there is real potential for bio-fuel to be available at local garage forecourts alongside traditional fuels.

Unlike ethanol, the nature of the innovative bio-fuel means that ordinary cars could use the more powerful fuel instead of traditional petrol.

The product can also be used to make other green renewable bio-chemicals, such as acetone.

The University now plans to create a spin-out company to take the new fuel to market and leverage the commercial opportunity, in the bid to make it available at petrol pumps.

Professor Martin Tangney, Director of the Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University, is leading the ground-breaking research.

He said: “The EU has declared that biofuels should account for 10% of total fuel sales by 2020. We’re committed to finding new, innovative renewable energy sources.

“While some energy companies are growing crops specifically to generate biofuel, we are investigating excess materials such as whisky by-products to develop them.

"This is a more environmentally sustainable option and potentially offers new revenue on the back of one Scotland’s biggest industries. We’ve worked with some of the country’s leading whisky producers to develop the process.”

Lena Wilson, chief executive, Scottish Enterprise, said: "This pioneering research is testament to Scotland's world-class science base and demonstrates how Scottish Enterprise helps to transform cutting-edge knowledge into successful new high-growth sustainable businesses for Scotland.

“The Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme is successful precisely because of its high caliber projects. By proactively taking innovative ideas from the laboratory to the global market place, Scotland can continue to compete at the highest level and successfully boost its economic recovery."

Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism said: "This is an innovative development, and I am delighted to see Edinburgh Napier University once again display its expertise in this field by bringing this biofuel to market.

"I support the development and use of sustainable biofuels. This innovative use of waste products demonstrates a new sustainable option for the biofuel industry, while also supporting the economic and environmental objectives of the Scottish Government's new Zero Waste Plan.

"In these challenging economic times we need to play to our strengths and take advantage of the low carbon opportunities of the future.

"It's exactly this type of innovation that will help sustain economic recovery and deliver future sustainable economic growth.”

Susan Morrison, Director and General Manager at The Scotch Whisky Experience said: “Working in a tourism role to represent the Whisky Industry we are delighted that the green agenda is moving forward at such a pace, both through the Green Tourism Scheme and innovations such as this new whisky bio-fuel.”

And WWF Scotland's Director, Dr Richard Dixon, said: "Scotch whisky is world renowned and one of Scotland's biggest exports, so it is great to see plans that could not only help power the cars on our roads and reduce fossil-fuel emissions but also help reduce the environmental impacts of the industry itself.

“The production of some biofuels can cause massive environmental damage to forests and wildlife. So, whisky powered-cars could help Scotland avoid having to use those forest-trashing biofuels.

"Last year the whisky industry published plans to help lower its impacts and it is clear that this scheme could assist them in doing just that. Since the whisky industry relies on Scotland's clean environment for its main ingredients it would be great if the industry could help Scotland reduce its emissions from road transport."

The technology for developing bio-fuel from whisky was inspired from a 100 year old process, created by Chaim Weizmann, a Jewish refugee chemist in Manchester who studied the butanol fermentation initially as part of a programme to produce rubber synthetically.

The process was then used in explosives manufacture and helped win both WWI and WWII.

Toyota Tacoma test drive

I stopped by the Toyota Dealership yesterday for a look at the new
Tacoma . Just for fun, I took it out for a test drive. I wanted to sense that "new" feel.

The salesman (wearing an Obama "change" lapel pin) sat in the
passenger seat describing the truck and all its "wonderful" options. The seats were of particular interest.

He explained that the seats directed warm air to your butt in
the winter and directed cool air to your butt in the summer heat.

Feeling like messing with his mind, I mentioned that this must
be a Republican truck. Looking a bit angry, he asked why I thought it
was a Republican truck. I explained that if it were a Democrat truck,
the seats would blow smoke up your ass year-round.

I had to walk back to the dealership... Damn guy had no sense of
humor.
 

VW Golf Bluemotion Is What Car? Green Car Of The Year 2010

The new Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI 105 BlueMotion 5dr has been named Green Car of the Year at the What Car? Green Awards, held in association with Warranty Direct.

What Car? editor-in-chief Steve Fowler said: “Volkswagen has built a hugely desirable car that’s big on ability, but small on running costs. The Golf BlueMotion does an enviable 74.3mpg and emits just 99g/km of CO2, which means it is exempt from road tax, while company car tax will be based on just 13% of its £18,685 list price. It’s a package that’s hard to beat. VW dealers are going to be busy.”

The Golf was also named best Green Small Family Car and beat eight other category winners to the overall Green Car of the Year title. VW also won the family car category with its Passat 1.6 TDI 105 BlueMotion. The judges said: “This is the green family car that families will want rather than the one they think they should have.”

At opposite ends of the market, the Fiat 500 1.2 Pop was awarded best Green Supermini, while the British-built Jaguar XJ collected the award for the greenest luxury car.

the VW Golf Bluemotion is a worthy winner. Given the MPG it returns and the fact that it is exempt from road tax, it is more than worthy of the coveted title.

New Electric Car Pays For Itself

A new concept vehicle earns money for its driver instead of guzzling it up in gasoline and maintenance costs.

U.S. researchers unveiled a vehicle Thursday that earns money for its driver instead of guzzling it up in gasoline and maintenance costs.

The converted Toyota Scion xB, shown at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science here, is the first electric car to be linked to a power grid and serve as a cash cow.

"This is the first vehicle that's ever been paid to participate in the grid -- the first proof of concept vehicle," Ken Huber, who oversees technological development at wholesale electricity coordinator PJM Interconnection, told AFP.

The presentation of the box-like, unassuming looking Scion was the researchers' way of introducing the "vehicle-to-grid" (V2G) concept as it begins to gain momentum in the United States and around the world.

V2G projects with hybrid cars that use electricity and gas to store energy in their batteries and feed it back into the power grid are up and running in the United States, and the drive now is to produce all electric vehicles to plug into the power grid.

"This makes the car useful not only when it's being driven, but also when it's parked, as long as you remember to plug it in," said Willett Kempton, who is leading a V2G project at the University of Delaware.

A V2G car is connected via an Internet-over-powerline connection that sends a signal from inside the car's computer to an aggregator's server.

The aggregator acts as the middleman between the car owner and power grid management companies, which are constantly trying to keep electricity output at a constant level.

When the grid needs more power due to a surge in demand, power companies usually draw from traditional power plants, which in the United States are often coal-fired and leave a large carbon footprint.

When V2G becomes more widespread, the power could be drawn from millions of vehicles plugged into sockets in home garages or from commercial fleets, such as the U.S. Postal Service's vans, for a much smaller footprint than that of the power plants.

Grid management companies like PJM Interconnection currently pay around 30 dollars an hour when taking power from a car.

V2G is still a new concept, but it is gaining ground in the United States and Europe.

"Ten years ago, this was just a plan. Today, it's a real project and in 10 years, we'll be producing tens of megawatts of power this way," said Kempton, adding that V2G will readily find applications in countries that are rapidly ramping up reliance on wind and solar energy, such as Denmark and Britain.

Huber said he will be meeting in the coming weeks in Paris with heads of European grid management companies about V2G.

"We're going to try to determine how we can work together on this. It's a technology that is very good at meeting a need we have, and there's growing interest among auto companies to develop V2G vehicles," he added.

AC Propulsion of California has designed an electric drive system for V2G, and car manufacturers including Renault/Nissan, Mitsubishi and BMW are producing all-electric vehicles with an eye on the V2G market. 

Gasoline from Thin Air?

An enzyme found in the roots of soybeans could be the key to cars that run on air.

Vanadium nitrogenase, an enzyme that normally produces ammonia from nitrogen gas, can also convert carbon monoxide (CO), a common industrial byproduct, into propane, the blue-flamed gas found on stoves across America.

While scientists caution the research is still at an early stage, they say that this study could eventually lead to new, environmentally friendly ways to produce fuel from thin air.

"This organism is a very common soil bacteria that is very well understood and has been studied for a long time," said Markus Ribbe, a scientist at the University of California, Irvine, and a co-author of the new paper that appears in the journal Science.

"While we were studying it, we realized that the enzyme has some unusual behavior," he added.

The organism that the researchers studied was Azotobacter vinelandii, an economically important bacteria. A. vinelandii is usually found in the soil around the roots of nitrogen-fixing plants like soybeans.

Farmers like plants that contain A. vinelandii because the bacteria use a suite of enzymes to turn unusable atmospheric nitrogen into vital ammonia and other chemicals. Other plants can then take up those chemicals and use them to grow.

Ribbe and his co-authors isolated one particular enzyme, vanadium nitrogenase, to convert nitrogen into ammonia. Then the California scientists removed the nitrogen and oxygen the enzyme is used to and filled the remaining space with CO.

Without oxygen and nitrogen, the enzyme began to to turn the CO into short chains of carbon two and three atoms long. A three-carbon chain is more commonly referred to as propane, the blue-flamed gas used in kitchens across America.

Scientifically, the new function of vanadium nitrogenase is a "profound discovery," said Jonas Peters, a scientist at Cal Tech who said he nearly leapt from his chair when the results were announced at a recent conference.

The new research could have some very important industrial applications, Peters said.

"Obviously this could lead to new ways to create synthetic liquid fuels if we can make longer carbon-carbon chains," said Ribbe.

The new enzyme can only make two and three carbon chains, not the longer strands that make up liquid gasoline. However, Ribbe thinks he can modify the enzyme so it could produce gasoline.

If perfected, the technique could lead to cars partially powered on their own fumes. Even further into the future, vehicles could even draw fuel from the air itself.

That perfection won't happen anytime soon, say both Ribbe and Peters.

"It's very, very difficult," to extract the vanadium nitrogenase, said Ribbe.

Scientists have known about this enzyme for a long time because of its importance in agriculture. They even isolated the genes that encode for vanadium nitrogenase more than 20 years ago, which opens the door to genetic engineers and synthetic biologists.

The technology to extract, grow and store large quantities of the enzyme has only developed within the last few years, which made this new research possible.

Further advances will be necessary before air and bacteria cars rule the road.