Nissan Releases 2011 Next Generation Fuel Cell

Japanese car manufacturer Nissan has lifted the lid off its latest Next Generation Fuel Cell design, intended to be used by FCEVs (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles).

The technology forms part of Nissan's ongoing progression towards a future society that produces no Carbon Dioxide emissions whatsoever. This, the 2011 update of a model it originally produced in 2005, incorporates a number of eco-friendly revisions.

Primarily, its power density is 2.5 times that of the 2005 Fuel Cell, yielding a world-beating 2.5 Kilowatts per litre ratio. This improvement's a result of tweaks made to the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) and other components.

Next Generation Fuel Cell

While performance has been driven up, the Next Generation Fuel Cell cost factor has dropped considerably, through the use of platinum and other materials, and it's also just half the size.

Fuel cells work by producing electricity from the chemical energy content in fuel. The earliest fuel cell designs emerged in the 19th century but, more recently, they've been incorporated into electric vehicles.

Nissan is the designer of the Leaf electric vehicle, of which over 10,000 examples have now been sold around the world.

2011 Nissan Fuel Cell

In news related to the 2011 Nissan Fuel Cell's launch, cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles were showcased at an event in Paris, France, held earlier this month. Companies exhibiting at it included Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, Michelin and Daimler, along with Intelligent Energy, whose fuel cell system features in the London Fuel Cell Cab design.

Two months ago, Nissan unveiled its innovative Leaf to Home concept, promoting its electric vehicle as an emergency source of domestic power. It's presently involved in a number of environmentally-friendly vehicle projects, involving fuel cell vehicles, electric vehicles, hybrid systems and internal combustion engines with a low emissions output.

2011 marks 15 years since the inception of Nissan's fuel cell vehicle work and 10 years since the pioneering Xterra FCV carried out its first proof of concept road tests.

Image courtesy of Newspress

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Companies supplying Green Transport