Fuel cell cars are all the rage, as Ford prepares to show a hydrogen-powered vehicle at the ten-day Los Angeles auto show, which starts on 1 December.

Ford's all-new Explorer can travel 350 miles on a single fill-up, more than any fuel cell vehicle on the road, reckoned Ford.

It comes with electric all-wheel-drive like the production model on which it's based, but a centrally-mounted hydrogen storage tank sits where the six-speed automatic transmission is normally found. This design allowed Ford's engineers to design a larger tank and deliver a 350-mile driving range, which Ford reckoned is a world first for a fuel cell vehicle. The Explorer's six-passenger seating arrangement and luggage capacity are unchanged.

In under a year, the fuel cell Explorer has accumulated more than 17,000 miles, including a world-record drive of 1,556 miles in a single 24-hour period, the most of any fuel cell vehicle to date, according to the Blue Oval, and was undertaken by Ford engineers at the new Dearborn Development Centre test facility in Dearborn, Ford's HQ.

Hydrogen and Ford
Ford first began working on hydrogen technology in the early 1990s. Ford's first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, released in 2001, was based on a lightweight aluminium saloon body, which was also used in the development of the company's first hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine.

The company currently has a fleet of 30 hydrogen-powered Focus fuel cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city programme to conduct real-world testing of fuel cell technology. The fleet has accumulated more than 300,000 miles since its inception and allows Ford to gain operating experience of the new propulsion systems under various conditions.

The fuel cell Explorer prototype is part of a series of vehicles partially funded by a contract with the US Department of Energy. The goal of the technology demonstration vehicle programme is to find a pathway for a fuel alternative to petroleum that has less environmental impact than current power-train technology.

"We believe hydrogen may become a viable motor fuel in the long-term," said Ford's R&D head Gerhard Schmidt. "With these technology demonstration vehicles, Ford continues to lead the way in the development of hydrogen technology."

Research into hydrogen, including the hydrogen fuel-cell-powered Ford Explorer, is part of Ford's overall effort to address the challenges of climate change and energy independence. It's hedging its bets for an uncertain future, exploring several options simultaneously, including hydrogen internal combustion engines, ethanol, clean diesel, and refinements to petrol-fuelled engines and advanced transmissions. (Pistonheads)
 

Specs Weight 2560 kg Seating 6-passenger Hydrogen Storage 10 kg at 700 bar Range 350 miles Fuel Economy 35 mpg M-H Power 60 kW Fuel Cell Motor 130 kW (Dual 65 kW) Electric Motors Batteries 50 kW hybrid battery

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