Honda, GM Team Up For Fuel Cell Technology As Alliance Trend Continues
When it comes to fuel cell technology, everyone seems desperate to hop into bed with everyone else. The past 12 months has been a whole number of alliances; the start of 2013 saw an announcement between Toyota and BMW to partner on hydrogen technology, while Daimler, Ford and Nissan also banded together on their own fuel cell project. Now we can add Honda and GM to that list.
The two auto makers, who would at first glance appear to be unlikely bedfellows, are teaming up to develop fuel cell technology as well as fueling station infrastructure. The goal is to create common technologies that the two auto makers can share, while also bringing down costs by consolidating their supplier base.
It’s hard to imagine two more different corporate cultures than Honda and GM, but the two do have a fair bit in common when it comes to fuel cells. Honda has been carrying the H2 torch with its FCV fuel-cell car, while GM has logged over 3 million miles in its fleet of FCV Equinox demo cars.
More by Derek Kreindler
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Boy, I can already tell which way that technology transfer will go. However, I hope Honda has taken great measures to not be infected by GM's unparalleled reputation for screwing up virtually everything they touch. (Except the 'Vette.) And whatever you do, Honda, do not let a GM manager get even close to the simplest tool in your facilities.
#1 An automobile is the second major investment most citizens will make. The first is a house. #2 Unless the government directly intervenes and FORCES technology and the infrastructure in a certain direction alternative energy will never work. That's not the "free market" at work. #3 The liberals are gonna have to work long and hard to come up with a way to beat fossil fuels. Fossil Fuels rank right up their with Water, food and sunlight as stuff we can't live without. In fact, because: CARBON DIOXIDE+WATER ---> SUGAR+ OXYGEN... fossil fuels ARE FOOD, SUNLIGHT and WATER lol!!! #4 Why so much focus on carbon emissions when there are other greenhouse gases being leaked from Volcanoes, the cracks beneath the sea floor and hot spots EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF EVERY DAY in quantities higher than mankind can produce in 1000 years? One volcano can erupt and release enough CO2 and Sulfur to set back every species on the planet. But some species thrive in these environments. PLANTS LOVE CO2. Some animals LOVE Sulfur.
Honda and GM have teamed up before. For a while there, Honda V6 motors were powering Saturn cars. I don't see this as extraordinary. Honda's got the engineering brains, the R&D and the finesse while GM has the brawn and the production capability, not to mention the backing, and the full faith and credit of these United States behind them. Smooth move, Exlax!
Seeing as all these fuel cells will use hydrogen made by stripping carbon from the methane gas CH4 molecule, has anyone given any thought whatsoever to the resultant pile of carbon left over? Perhaps we can make a billion years' supply of pencil leads from the slag each year, and export them to the stars on an Elon Musk rocket.