Ford: Building a Hydrogen Transportation System

Ford: Building a Hydrogen Transportation System

Ford Motor Company is committed to developing alternative vehicles that produce fewer emissions while still delivering outstanding performance. We believe in the potential of hydrogen to deliver these results.

The Promise of Hydrogen

When petroleum-based gasoline is used in a traditional internal combustion engine, gasoline produces hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to environmental pollution. However, if gasoline is replaced by hydrogen, neither hydrocarbon nor carbon dioxide emissions are produced.

With further research to reduce tailpipe output of potentially smog-forming emissions to below ambient conditions in many cities, the air leaving a hydrogen internal combustion engine's tailpipe could actually be cleaner than the air coming into the engine.

In addition, a hydrogen engine can attain overall efficiency of 38 percent, approximately 25 percent better than a gasoline engine.

Overcoming Obstacles to Develop a Hydrogen Vehicle

Designing a gasoline engine to burn hydrogen fuel has typically resulted in significantly lower power output - until now. Ford researchers have shown that with supercharging, the hydrogen internal combustion engine can deliver the same power as its gasoline counterpart and still provide near-zero-emissions performance and high fuel economy. The centrifugal-type supercharger provides nearly 15 pounds per square inch (psi) of boost on demand.

For hydrogen to be widely adopted, a hydrogen refueling infrastructure must be developed so vehicle owners can fill their hydrogen tanks. With the help of our partners, we have already opened hydrogen fueling stations in Detroit, Berlin and Hiroshima.

What's on the Road Now?

In addition to developing a hydrogen combustion engine, the Model U, and conducting research to develop the FreedomCAR, we have developed a hybrid hydrogen vehicle, the Ford Focus FCV. The Ford Focus FCV is powered by hydrogen and has a fuel cell instead of a battery to produce electricity.

Initially, we will market the Ford Focus FCV as fleets to organizations that have the ability to install hydrogen-refueling stations. The Focus body was chosen for the Ford fuel cell vehicle because it best meets our target customers' needs for performance, comfort and utility.

We have delivered the Focus FCV to public officials in the United States, Canada and Germany as part of a 7-city, 30-car program to conduct real world testing of fuel cell technology.

Source: Ford