GM Hydrogen Hype Goin' Mobile

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Just as anything Apple now gets an "i" prefix and any traditional industry moving its products or services online feels compelled to stick an "e" in front of it (e.g. eLoan), anything hydrogen-related gets a "hy" five. I'm speaking here of HyHauler™ and HyHauler Plus™. The first is Quantum Technologies' portable hydrogen filling station, while the second is a mobile filling station PLUS an on-board hydrogen generator! Now how much would you pay? Just-Auto reports that GM has purchased three hytankers at an undisclosed price. The rolling Hindenbergs filling stations will support GM's hydrogen fuel cell-powered hyhypemobiles at "various locations from vehicle proving grounds and public ride-and-drive events to fleet demonstrations." Quantum's website is strangely silent about cost, safety and the energy needed to create and pump the hydrogen into zero emissions vehicles.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

More by Robert Farago

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 8 comments
  • Shaker Shaker on Jul 30, 2007

    There's nothing wrong with pursuing "HyPower" in the "technology" arena, but it's a less-than-zero-sum game when you consider the infrastructure that would have to be built -- hell, it would take billions to finance that, like the kind that Exxon/Mobil has!

  • Dean Dean on Jul 30, 2007

    Hydrogen has zero future as an automotive fuel. Get over it. GM has learned well about "weapons of mass distraction" and are, as RF has opined before, merely trying to distract everyone from the fact that GM has no real plan. In this case, they are helped by the wishful thinking and misguided optimism of the politicians.

  • Philbailey Philbailey on Jul 31, 2007

    The large amount of energy required to isolate hydrogen from natural compounds (water, natural gas, biomass), package the light gas by compression or liquefaction, transfer the energy carrier to the user, plus the energy lost when it is converted to useful electricity with fuel cells, leaves around 25% for practical use — an unacceptable value to run an economy in a sustainable future. Only niche applications like submarines and spacecraft might use hydrogen.

  • Landcrusher Landcrusher on Jul 31, 2007

    Want to know whats worse than CO2 as a greenhouse gas? Water vapor! If we ever got close to going H power, they will likely ban it. The best and only solution I have heard is for everyone to do something at thier home like solar or wind. A small plant, that might not even cover the home's whole usage could still go a HUGE way towards energy independence. A lot better than anything else proposed, and we have the technology now.

Next