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GM opens fuel-cell plant

A significant number of fuel-cell vehicles will be on the road by 2010, the head of General Motors Corp's fuel-cell program said Monday at the dedication of a new research facility.

"Given our current technological momentum and business realities, we expect to see compelling and affordable fuel-cell vehicles on the road by the end of the decade," said Larry Burns, vice president research, development and planning.

Burns said GM also planned to market stationary fuel cell power units used to generate electricity for homes or businesses even sooner.

Other GM fuel-cell research facilities are located in Warren, Michigan, and in Mainz-Kastel, Germany.

The facility in Honeoye Falls will employ about 100 engineers, in addition to the 200 that have been working in an existing lab next door since 1998.

Fuel cells produce electricity from a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the only emission is water vapor, but there is no extensive refueling infrastructure and on-board tanks that are safe, light and inexpensive enough still are in development.

Gasoline, methanol and natural gas are being used as interim fuels, but they require the addition of a heavy, expensive reformer to extract their hydrogen and are not pollution-free.

In May, GM demonstrated a gasoline-fed fuel-cell version of its Chevrolet S10 pickup truck.

The automaker also is working on a drivable version of the Autonomy fuel-cell vehicle it debuted at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Autonomy is based on a skateboard-like structure where each wheel is powered by an individual electric motor and controls such as steering, braking and transmission use ``by wire'' technology, operated electronically, rather than mechanically. Interchangeable bodies are mounted on the skateboard-chassis.

Last January, the domestic automakers and US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced an initiative called FreedomCAR to develop a hydrogen infrastructure and speed the production of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Every major automaker is working on a fuel-cell vehicle.

Last week, Honda Motor Co announced it would begin leasing a four-passenger, hydrogen-powered car in California and Japan this fall, making it available to government and institutional users.
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