boutons_deux
04-22-2011, 04:43 PM
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Discovery Makes Fuel Cells ‘Orders of Magnitude Cheaper’
By Chuck Squatriglia Email Author
April 22, 2011 |
2:15 pm |
Categories: Alt Fuel, EVs and Hybrids
One of the biggest issues with hydrogen fuel cells, aside from the lack of fueling infrastructure, is the high cost of the technology. Fuel cells use a lot of platinum, with is frightfully expensive and one reason we’ll pay $50,000 or so for the hydrogen cars automakers say we’ll see in 2015.
That might soon change. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a platinum-free catalyst in the cathode of a hydrogen fuel cell that uses carbon, iron and cobalt. That could make hydrogen fuel cells “two to three orders of magnitude cheaper,” the lab says.
Although the discovery means we could see hydrogen fuel cells in a wide variety of applications, it could have the biggest implications for automobiles.
Despite the auto industry’s focus on hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles — driven in part by the Obama Administration’s love of cars with cords — several automakers remain convinced hydrogen fuel cells are the best alternative to internal combustion.
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How is Los Alamos financed?
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/04/discovery-makes-fuel-cells-orders-of-magnitude-cheaper/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Ind ex+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29
Discovery Makes Fuel Cells ‘Orders of Magnitude Cheaper’
By Chuck Squatriglia Email Author
April 22, 2011 |
2:15 pm |
Categories: Alt Fuel, EVs and Hybrids
One of the biggest issues with hydrogen fuel cells, aside from the lack of fueling infrastructure, is the high cost of the technology. Fuel cells use a lot of platinum, with is frightfully expensive and one reason we’ll pay $50,000 or so for the hydrogen cars automakers say we’ll see in 2015.
That might soon change. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a platinum-free catalyst in the cathode of a hydrogen fuel cell that uses carbon, iron and cobalt. That could make hydrogen fuel cells “two to three orders of magnitude cheaper,” the lab says.
Although the discovery means we could see hydrogen fuel cells in a wide variety of applications, it could have the biggest implications for automobiles.
Despite the auto industry’s focus on hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles — driven in part by the Obama Administration’s love of cars with cords — several automakers remain convinced hydrogen fuel cells are the best alternative to internal combustion.
================
How is Los Alamos financed?
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/04/discovery-makes-fuel-cells-orders-of-magnitude-cheaper/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Ind ex+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29