Volvo extends electric car range with fuel cells

Swedish car maker Volvo is looking to power its next electric vehicle with a fuel cell, writes DAVE MOORE.

The GM Volt will soon become the first mass-produced extended-range hybrid electric car, but it will still emit carbon dioxide when the internal combustion engine to comes into play, once the electricity runs out and the cells need to be charged.

Volvo, however, is taking what it sees as a step towards next-generation electric car technology.

Backed by research support from the Swedish Energy Agency, the company is initiating the development of a fuel cell that can extend the operating range of electric cars without any carbon dioxide emissions.

The aim is to have two prototype chassis based on the Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric ready for testing in everyday traffic within two years.

"This is an exciting expansion of our focus on electrification," says Volvo Cars president and chief executive Stefan Jacoby.

"Battery cost and size means that all-electric cars still have a relatively limited operating range.

"Fuel cells may be one way of extending the distance these cars can cover before they need to be recharged.

"What is more," says Mr Jacoby, "the project gives us increased knowledge about fuel cells and hydrogen gas."

Volvo, now owned by Geely, of China, is working with the company Powercell Sweden on the first phase, a preliminary study into a range extender, which consists of a fuel cell with a reformer.

The reformer breaks down a liquid fuel, in this case petrol, to create hydrogen gas.

In the fuel cell, this reformed hydrogen gas supply is converted into electrical energy, which is used to power the car's electric motor.

The technology generates electricity completely without any emissions of carbon oxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particles.

Due to the highly efficient process, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are significantly reduced, compared with a conventional vehicle.

The end products are electricity, water and a small amount of carbon dioxide.

The beauty of the process is that the technology could then be adapted for renewable fuels, eliminating the need for fossil fuels altogether.

The technology is expected to increase the electric car's operating range by up to 250 kilometres, in addition to the range provided by the car's battery pack in the first place.

The fuel-cell industry expects that the cost efficiency will improve continuously through refined technology and large-scale production.

With support from the Swedish Energy Agency, Volvo and Powercell will produce two test cars based on the current Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric, with testing of the cars beginning in 2012.

"We have just taken the first steps and it is naturally too early to talk about market introduction of electric cars with Range Extenders," says Mr Jacoby.

"The industrial decision will come after we have learned more about fuel cells and the opportunities they offer."