Chevy's Hydrogen Equinox Heads to School

I've been fortunate to have several opportunities to drive Chevrolet's iconic hydrogen fuel cell Equinox: the first time was at last year's "Electric Drive University"  -- an informative program delivered by General Motors to educate journalists on all the details related to this special hydrogen-powered electric vehicle. I also had the SUV for a full week at the beginning of summer, during which time I was able to experience a real-life road test and was even able to refuel the car at General Motors' own hydrogen station in Burbank.

During that time, I was fascinated by the attention the vehicle drew from curious passers-by, most notably, a discussion with one parent about how hydrogen is manufactured, and the questions from schoolmates of my son who asked me: "Does that thing really run on water?" (My initial response was to ask them to keep their skateboards away from my million-dollar prototype vehicle. THEN we talked about the fuel cell system.)

The end of the school year was just days away, so I asked the principal of the school if she would be interested in presenting an educational opportunity to the children about this remarkable vehicle and its hydrogen powertrain when school resumed in the fall.

Fast forward to last week, when Angela Coletti and Shad Balch brought TWO hydrogen fuel cell Equinox vehicles to my son's elementary school, and gave each class from Kindergarten to the Eighth Grade a personal 30-minute presentation on the car and its special features. The school's teachers had been provided with educational materials so that they could include information about hydrogen fuel cells in their science curriculum before the event, which meant the kids were well-prepared for their tour.

Because I am also the school's volunteer yearbook advisor, I wandered back and forth between each presentation, snapping photos of the kids as they swarmed the vehicles, checking out its electric motor and the water vapor exhaust. These kids were curious and smart! They were fascinated by the cars, and each grade asked A LOT of questions! Each age group expressed their enthusiasm for the vehicle in different ways: the older kids asked very astute questions about the vehicles' safety, technology, and practical features, while the younger ones wanted to touch and climb into the car. At one point, when Shad invited them to feel the pure water vapor emitted from the tail vents, the Kindergarten boys spontaneously dropped to the ground and laid on their bellies to feel the breeze blow over them! Adorable!

Many of the children asked similar questions from class to class, which made me think it might be good to address them here, in case other people had similar questions. It's a fascinating vehicle!

Is it a Hybrid Vehicle?
No, the Fuel Cell Equinox is an electric vehicle fueled by hydrogen. The hydrogen is stored in tanks and is processed through a proton exchange membrane to create electricity, which then powers the electric motor.

Is it really powered by water?
No, it is powered by gaseous hydrogen. Hydrogen is usually produced from water  using two popular methods: one is "steam reformation," in which methane is reacted with water to form hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide. The other is through the electrolysis of water, in which electricity is applied to water (H20) to split the hydrogen from the oxygen.

Does water really come out the tailpipe?
The only emission from the fuel cell Equinox is water vapor. It's not even really wet, but feels more like the warm air that flows from under your household refrigerator.

Can it explode?
It's not likely. Because hydrogen is 14.4 times lighter than air, if there was a puncture or leak in the hydrogen tank of the fuel cell vehicle, the gas would dilute quickly into a non-flammable concentration as it diffuses into the air. General Motors has done plenty of safety testing of their tanks, including shooting the tanks with rifles and dropping them out of planes.

How do you make sure nobody accidentally puts water or gasoline in the tank?
The refilling port is specifically designed to accept only a specific kind of hydrogen nozzle. It is a completely closed system, which links the car to the refilling station, so that the car and the pump communicate with each other to ensure a safe and complete fillup.

How far can it go?
The vehicle is expected to get about 40 miles to the kilogram. A fuel cell electric vehicle can generally travel about twice as far on a kilogram of hydrogen as a traditional internal-combustion-engine vehicle can travel on a gallon of gasoline. Three onboard tanks can hold a little over four kilograms of hydrogen, which gives it a range of about 160 to 200 miles.

How much does it cost to fill?
Hydrogen fuel is usually priced at approximately double the current cost of premium fuel, since it delivers about twice the range of the equivalent amount of gasoline. Fuel providers have established this pricing structure to ensure that it costs no more to fuel a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle than a traditional gasoline vehicle.

How fast can it go?
Because it is powered by an electric motor and uses a continuously variable transmission, it has immediate power off the line and feels really fast and zippy as it accelerates. Published road tests at MotorTrend.com  give a 0-30 mph time of about 3 seconds and a 0-60 time of about 9 seconds, while General Motors says it has a regulated top speed of 100 mph.

Otherwise, this Equinox is similar to the traditional internal-combustion-powered version: it seats four and it's loaded with features including a bespoke interior, as well as air conditioning, XM Satellite Radio, OnStar, traction control, and anti-lock brakes.

This is a real car, and is much more than a science project. And the information that these vehicles will reveal about the practical useability of fuel cells brings us even closer to realizing hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel.

By Brandy Schaffels
AskPatty.com Editor

Because I am also the school's volunteer yearbook advisor, I wandered back and forth between each presentation, snapping photos of the kids as they swarmed the vehicles, checking out its electric motor and the water vapor exhaust. These kids were curious and smart! They were fascinated by the cars, and each grade asked A LOT of questions! Each age group expressed their enthusiasm for the vehicle in different ways: the older kids asked very astute questions about the vehicles' safety, technology, and practical features, while the younger ones wanted to touch and climb into the car. At one point, when Shad invited them to feel the pure water vapor emitted from the tail vents, the Kindergarten boys spontaneously dropped to the ground and laid on their bellies to feel the breeze blow over them! Adorable!

Many of the children asked similar questions from class to class, which made me think it might be good to address them here, in case other people had similar questions. It's a fascinating vehicle!

Is it a Hybrid Vehicle?
No, the Fuel Cell Equinox is an electric vehicle fueled by hydrogen. The hydrogen is stored in tanks and is processed through a proton exchange membrane to create electricity, which then powers the electric motor.

Is it really powered by water?
No, it is powered by gaseous hydrogen. Hydrogen is usually produced from water  using two popular methods: one is "steam reformation," in which methane is reacted with water to form hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide. The other is through the electrolysis of water, in which electricity is applied to water (H20) to split the hydrogen from the oxygen.

Does water really come out the tailpipe?
The only emission from the fuel cell Equinox is water vapor. It's not even really wet, but feels more like the warm air that flows from under your household refrigerator.

Can it explode?
It's not likely. Because hydrogen is 14.4 times lighter than air, if there was a puncture or leak in the hydrogen tank of the fuel cell vehicle, the gas would dilute quickly into a non-flammable concentration as it diffuses into the air. General Motors has done plenty of safety testing of their tanks, including shooting the tanks with rifles and dropping them out of planes.

How do you make sure nobody accidentally puts water or gasoline in the tank?
The refilling port is specifically designed to accept only a specific kind of hydrogen nozzle. It is a completely closed system, which links the car to the refilling station, so that the car and the pump communicate with each other to ensure a safe and complete fillup.

How far can it go?
The vehicle is expected to get about 40 miles to the kilogram. A fuel cell electric vehicle can generally travel about twice as far on a kilogram of hydrogen as a traditional internal-combustion-engine vehicle can travel on a gallon of gasoline. Three onboard tanks can hold a little over four kilograms of hydrogen, which gives it a range of about 160 to 200 miles.

How much does it cost to fill?
Hydrogen fuel is usually priced at approximately double the current cost of premium fuel, since it delivers about twice the range of the equivalent amount of gasoline. Fuel providers have established this pricing structure to ensure that it costs no more to fuel a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle than a traditional gasoline vehicle.

How fast can it go?
Because it is powered by an electric motor and uses a continuously variable transmission, it has immediate power off the line and feels really fast and zippy as it accelerates. Published road tests at MotorTrend.com  give a 0-30 mph time of about 3 seconds and a 0-60 time of about 9 seconds, while General Motors says it has a regulated top speed of 100 mph.

Otherwise, this Equinox is similar to the traditional internal-combustion-powered version: it seats four and it's loaded with features including a bespoke interior, as well as air conditioning, XM Satellite Radio, OnStar, traction control, and anti-lock brakes.

This is a real car, and is much more than a science project. And the information that these vehicles will reveal about the practical useability of fuel cells brings us even closer to realizing hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel.

By Brandy Schaffels
AskPatty.com Editor

Comments

[Sharon]

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Sharon

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