Project Driveway update: 1 million miles on hydrogen fuel-cell-powered Chevrolet Equinoxes

It’s been about two years since General Motors rolled out its Project Driveway program, which puts ordinary citizens behind the wheel of a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered Chevrolet Equinox for a couple of months. This week, the 116 cars in the program rolled past a combined total of over 1 million miles.
 
Intended to raise public awareness, dispel fears about hydrogen as a motor fuel, and provide some real-world testing, the program has about 80,000 people signed up so far. Of those, 65 have gotten a chance to be the first on their block with a hydrogen-powered Equinox; some vehicles have racked up 25,000 miles.
 
So what has Chevy learned? According to Chris Colquitt, GM’s Driver Relationship Manager for Fuel Cell Activities, response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive. The biggest mechanical problem they’ve had with the vehicles has been with simple sensors for things like temperature and fuel pressure, which he says initially proved difficult to find in automotive-grade quality. But GM has been working with suppliers to develop more robust units.
 
Another issue was that some of the first cars required 20-30 seconds to start up in below zero temperatures, but Colquitt says GM engineers have reduced that to two to three seconds in all but the coldest weather. GM has seen no problems with hot weather conditions. Beyond that, the vehicles have proven reliable and people reportedly find them easy to live with.
 
Our own experience driving early examples almost two years ago was much the same. The vehicles seemed free of quirks and seemingly ready for prime time. The driving experience is quiet and smooth, about what you would expect from an electric car, which is what fuel-cell vehicles are.
 
The fuel cell powertrains have 60 percent fewer parts, and 90 percent fewer moving parts than a gasoline engine, so it’s not too surprising that Coquitt reports no major driveline issues with the hydrogen powertrain. The fuel-cell Equinox uses a 93 kw hydrogen fuel cell and 300-volt nickel-metal hydride battery.  

The obstacles that remain are the lack of a hydrogen delivery and refueling infrastructure, and the cost of the batteries and related technology for the cars. Both are substantial obstacles. Today the National Hydrogen Association lists 64 hydrogen fueling stations in operation in the U.S. Only three of those are capable of giving today’s hydrogen cars like the fuel-cell Equinoxes a full tank. The government estimates it would take about 12,000 stations to supply the whole U.S., with urban stations every three miles, and stations spaced within 25 miles along interstates. It has set 2018 as a goal to develop that refueling network, though development funding is currently suspended. And even if the stations were built, it’s unclear where much of the hydrogen will come from. There is enough extra hydrogen produced today to power 1 million vehicles, but industrial demand for the gas is also growing.  

The 116 vehicles in the Project Driveway program are part of GM’s fourth-generation of hydrogen models. Colquitt says between generations three and four, cost dropped by 50 percent from roughly 100 times the cost of a traditional internal combustion powertrain, or about $1 million. He expects the cost for the next generation sould be about 10 times more than a gas engine, which would be about $100,000. That’s still a lot of money.
 
GM and other automakers have said previously that two primary factors will drive costs down to an affordable level:

1. Materials science, using nano technology to reduce the amount of platinum needed for the fuel cells. One major factor in that will be increasing the capacity of buffer batteries to smooth out the power demand from the fuel cell. Bigger batteries will add some cost too.

2. Mass production. To that end, Colquitt says General Motors is “Fully committed to making this technology a reality”, and that the company expects to have vehicles ready for customer sale or lease by 2015. He adds that investing in fuel cell technology carries the highest risk, but that the technology offers the highest returns among alternative fuel technologies, compared to plug-in electric vehicles and biofuels.

We’ve driven most of the fuel cell cars automakers are developing. And from our perspective, it looks like the cars will likely be ready by then. Whether the world will also have the fuel remains to be seen. Electric companies have been lining up to provide power for battery electric cars. But there hasn’t been a similar commitment by fuel companies to produce hydrogen for fuel-cell cars.  
 
— Jim Travers and Eric Evarts

For more information on future automotive fuels, see our alternative fuels resource center.

Comments

[Jean-Bernard Brisset]

I am 73 and I am waiting for the first hydrogen cars that will be affordable but I begin to have some doubts that this will take place before I am myself transformed into hydrogen.

[kelly]

Less than an average ten thousand miles/vehicle/car and no mention of $100,000's in cost each. What's ready and operating is the same as twenty years ago - open hands for hand outs.

[Robert Wichert]

It's great to see that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are far enough along to merit a review by Consumer Reports. It just goes to show that they are real cars, in the hands of real people, who really like them.

I'm encouraged.

Robert Wichert

[John Tak]

Good article. I've driven one of the GM fuel cell electric Equinoxes after it drove with 11 other fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) all the way from San Diego, California, to Vancouver, BC - more than 1,600 miles (http://www.hydrogenroadtour.com/).

The electric utilities are doing a good job, but to be fair to the fuel companies, it should be noted that the electric utilities don't have to pay for or invest in the additional charging infrastructure for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and will just be selling more of what they're already producing. Someone else will have to pay for the charging infrastructure which does yet exist on a commercial scale.

[Rolf]

Jim and Eric,

Thanks for the thoughtful and informative update. The whole hydrogen fuel cell Vs. batteries Vs. biofuels discussion tends to bring out strong passions all around and lots of wild claims, so it's great to see a balanced assessment of where GM's vehicles stand. We are going to need all of the above and they are, in many ways, mutually reinforcing! Kudos.

[Sandy Thomas]

Great review of the GM fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).
You should also know that 7 energy companies (including Shell, Linde, Total, etc.) just signed a memorandum of understanding with Daimler today,announcing their intent to build a hydrogen fueling network in Germany to support 100,000 FCEVs.
This complements the MOU released yesterday by 7 auto companies (Daimler, Ford, GM/Opel, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai/Kia & Renault/Nissan) announcing their joint intent to produce on the order of 100,000 FCEVs on or before 2015.
Hydrogen-powered FCEVs will happen; the question is whether this technology, like so many developed by the US, will be commercialized in Germany or Japan.

[jjpro]

Thank you Jim & Eric for a great summary of Project Driveway to date.

As a driver participant of GM's PD, I can truly say that these vehicles are ready for prime time. These are some of the finest vehicles I have driven, and I have driven some pretty fancy vehicles. I have driven the Sequel, GM's next iteration of the fuel-cell electric vehicle, and I have to say that that IS the finest vehicle I have driven.

All I know is that the U.S. Government has to get on the stick with the supporting infrastructure if we don't want to be left behind again in the automotive world. I am grateful to GM for their continued commitment to this technology. They are doing something right, and we should support them in that effort.

Thank You.

[David Hitchcock]

Good review from a reliable source. GM's progress on this needs to be acknowledged and certainly costs will decline as manufacturers learn by doing.