General Motors has issued a statement regarding the future of its fuel cell partnership with Honda following reports the automaker has decided against producing an FCEV for retail customers.
The automaker said that it remains “committed to fuel cells as a complement to battery-electric propulsion,” and is ” fully engaged with our partner, Honda, to commercialize the world’s best fuel cell technology for use by both companies across a range of applications.”
In addition, GM reiterated that its fuel cells will soon enter production at its Brownstown Battery plant in Michigan and that the development of the technology has not been delayed in recent months.
“These fuel cells will be manufactured in Brownstown, Michigan as previously announced. Our commercialization commitment and timing for fuel cells remains unchanged. In fact, we are currently installing the manufacturing equipment in our Brownstown facility. Like our Ultium battery vehicle programs, the timing of our fuel cell program has not been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Reports surfaced this week indicating that GM had cancelled plans to release a consumer-facing FCEV as part of its plan to introduce 20 electric vehicles by 2023. Rumors allege the company will instead utilize fuel cell technology on its fleet products, though the company has not confirmed this itself. The automaker previously unveiled two potential hydrogen fleet products in the way of the Chevrolet Colorado ZH2 and Silverado ZH2 military trucks, however.
GM entered a partnership with Honda to develop next-generation hydrogen fuel cell technology back in 2013. The two automakers have since expanded their partnership to lithium ion batteries, with GM entering an agreement with Honda to jointly develop its new Ultium batteries. The Japanese company plans to utilize GM’s OnStar network to put a similar service in its products, as well.
We’ll be following along as GM releases more details on its fuel cell program, so be sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more General Motors fuel cell news and ongoing General Motors news coverage.
Comments
I am glad to hear this. Always thought it would be the answer to longer range than batteries.
Good to hear that.
Because battery-electric propulsion is a dead end in my opinion, because a) BEV are useful only for people who can charge their car at home, and because b) the eletricity for charging has to be provided by the electric grid at the time of charging, and the car must be parked, while the production of H2 (hydrogen in gas aggregate state) with electricity (electrolysis) is completely decoupled timewise from the filling of the H2 in a vehicle and its use to produce the electricity for the electric motors driving the wheels.
The US car market might be somewhat different from e.g. Germany, because, in my view, more people in the USA live in independend houses with Garages etc where they can charge their BEV on their own premises at the time they chose, which will be mostly over night when they are sleeping.
What does not apply to people living in a flat or in a New York brownstone.
This technology really is the most sensiable use resources. Go forward full steam!!
Unsensible use of resources.
Fixed it for you.
The question is, HOW will the hydrogen be supplied?
As a pre-stored pressurized gas from tanks?
As a by-product of electrolysis of water?
As a by-product of gasoline fuel? *** This is likely what they plan to do***
How does the Earth benefit from a hydrogen fuel cell that (most likely) will run off of gasoline?
Montana Matt mixes two steps:
1st: isolating Hydrogen as Hâ‚‚ out of other chemical compounds, be it Hydrocarbons like oil or coal, or water, which is simply Hâ‚‚O. The latter is done via an electrolysis, as you say, the former by a “reformation” which involves heat and which releases also new compoungs of carbon with oxygen in form of COâ‚‚ — an unwanted product.
2nd: getting the H₂ from its isolation (production) to the vehicles — the gas is being transported from production and storage sites to the filling stations either by trucks just as todays hydrocarbon fuels, or via a pipeline network.
It is kept as pressurised gas at 700 bar or 350 bar; at least that is how it is done here in Europe.