General Motors Project Driveway, which involves 120 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicles, was setup to see how hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicles adapt to the real world and if customers will be able to use them as a daily driver.
One of the more impressive aspects of the Project Driveway project was to see if these fuel-cell electric vehicles hold up to accidents. According to Charlie Freese, who is in charge of GM’s fuel-cell program, five of GM’s hydrogen fuel-cell powered Equinox units have been involved in accidents and none have resulted in a catastrophic hydrogen explosion.
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Freese says that all models are designed to withhold accidents so the tanks will leak in a jet of flame if ruptured and ignited – meaning the vehicle won’t explode.
GM announced yesterday that it is testing a “production-intent” hydrogen fuel-cell system that can fit in the space of a 4-cylinder engine and be ready for commercial production by 2015.
– By: Kap Shah
Source: DriveOn