As promised, Nissan’s solid-oxide fuel-cell (SOFC) technology has progressed from the laboratory to a prototype vehicle.
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The model of this new vehicle will offer a unit that will run on one hundred percent ethanol and will charge a 24kWh battery.
Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn said “The e-Bio Fuel-Cell offers eco-friendly transportation and creates opportunities for regional energy production.all the while supporting the existing infrastructure”. In the future, the e-Bio Fuel-Cell will become even more user-friendly.
Nissan said the fuel cell prototype is part of its commitment towards the development of zero-emission vehicles. Ethanol-blended water is easier and safer to handle than most other fuels.
The car-maker hopes home fuel stations will reduce the need for extensive overhauling of any country’s current fuelling infrastructure and take the pressure off Japan’s power station once the popularity of pure-electric vehicles rises dramatically. “Without the need to create new infrastructure, it has great potential to drive market growth”, he added.
Alongside the e-Bio Fuel-Cell, Nissan also unveiled the BladeGlider electric sports auto concept.
The base vehicle for the prototype is the Nissan e-NV200, with a 30-liter tank capacity.
The auto is based on an e-NV200 MPV and uses a 24kWh battery to enable a cruising range of more than 373 miles/596 kilometres, making it comparable to current combustion-engined vehicles.
The main sources for bio-ethanol fuels are sugarcane and corn.
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This is done by mixing hydrogen created using the fuel with chemicals that react with it to create electricity in the fuel cell stack. Nissan will test the prototype in a few weeks on the road of Brazil. The van is claimed to have a cruising range of about 600 km.
