Author Topic: Suzuki's H2 fuel cell scooter  (Read 1043 times)

Richard230

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Suzuki's H2 fuel cell scooter
« on: March 09, 2011, 06:03:58 PM »
It's not fast, but it is interesting and has a decent range - provided you can find H2 pressurized to 10,000 psi to fuel it. The scooter has just received EU production approval. Read about it here and watch the video:

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/General-news/2011/March/mar0911-suzuki-fuel-cell-scooter-gets-mass-production-approval/Suzuki/_/R-EPI-129465

More here, along with a quiet 4-minute Suzuki promo video, which has technical operational graphics at the end.

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/fuel-cell-suzuki-creeps-closer-to-a-showroom-reality/17460.html
current bikes: 2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Classic, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2007 BMW R1200R, 2005 Triumph T-100 Bonneville, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.

protomech

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Re: Suzuki's H2 fuel cell scooter
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2011, 03:52:32 PM »
5k and 10k psi are somewhat standard for hydrogen refueling stations, at least as far as such things go.

Hydrogen has a ton of practical usability issues - but fundamentally, they're all range-extended EVs, similar to the Chevy Volt. So some problems they solve will help EVs, and some problems EVs solve will help Hydrogen vehicles.

Food for thought: a hypothetical Enertia 10.0 would weigh about 380 lbs, same as this prototype Burgman. It would have similar range, better performance (potentially much better), and can be refilled at home. The Enertia 10.0 would lose a percent or two of "fuel" every week, compared to 100% loss within a week for fuel cell vehicles. The FC vehicle can be recharged very quickly where stations exist, where even with a max-output J1772 connector the Enertia 10.0 would take an hour or two to charge. Home refueling (through electrolysis) is prohibitively expensive, both to install and per delivered unit energy to the bike.

Both vehicles would need to have the major expensive component replaced every 100k miles or so. In Brammo's case, the 10 kwh battery pack. In the FC vehicle's case, both the intermediate battery pack and the fuel cell would need to be replaced.

Hydrogen backers are pushing hard for 2015 to see a marketable hydrogen vehicle. The infrastructure will be available only in very limited areas at that point. They will be facing the first of the second generation of electric vehicles from manufacturers, and hopefully J1772 installations will be more widespread than they are today. I don't see 2015 being the year of the hydrogen vehicle, but maybe by 2030 they'll have the kinks worked out.
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Gavin

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Re: Suzuki's H2 fuel cell scooter
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2011, 04:20:47 PM »
but by 2030 we will have batteries that allow a car to go 400 miles on a charge...motorcycles 200 miles or more easily. And will have fast charging...


Once a car can go 300 miles on a charge and recharge in 30 minutes, and do so at an  affordable price....well gas is dead.

by 2030 all that will be true (long range, fast recharge, cheap batteries)

Gavin


protomech

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Re: Suzuki's H2 fuel cell scooter
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2011, 04:36:05 PM »
I've seen numbers floated around of approx 7% improvement per year in battery tech, which would put us on track for 3-4x better batteries by 2030. 3-4x higher power, higher energy capacity, cheaper (per kwh).

If the charging infrastructure is in place, 200 miles is probably fine. It's like the ipad vs the kindle .. 3 weeks of use in the Kindle is pretty cool, but 3 days of moderate use in the ipad is realistically fine for many. If I had a 200 mile EV, I'd set it in a maintenance/conditioning mode most of the time.. would only need to charge it a couple times per week.
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