Hydrogen Hybrids Delivered to Norway |
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Anthony Fontanelle
March 30, 2007
The threat of global warming has captured the attention of the global community. Different countries have already taken steps to reduce that risk. In the United States, President George W. Bush calls for the reduction of gasoline consumption by as much as twenty percent in ten years time. In Brazil, huge steps are taken to produce alternative fuel like bio-ethanol.
Recently, Norway joined the ranks of countries working for the development of alternative fuels by initiating the Norwegian Hydrogen Highway or which is more commonly referred to as HyNor. The initiative is focused on the promotion of the use of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle in the country.
The Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. is one of the vehicle suppliers of the project. On March 29, the company reported that they have delivered eleven hydrogen hybrid Toyota Prius vehicles to Miljobil Grenland AS which is a professional operator of an electric car fleet through a leasing concept. These vehicles will be the art of the country’s dedication to encourage the use of alternative fuel vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emission which is the culprit behind global warming.
HyNor is a partnership between the Norwegian administration, different industries and the private sector. It is focused on the creation of the “Hydrogen Highway” that will connect the country’s capital, Oslo, with Stavanger, a port on Western Norway. The project’s short-term goal is the construction of hydrogen refueling facilities between the two cities.
Five hydrogen refueling stations are planned to be put up between the capital and the country’s main source of petroleum products. It is interesting to know that Norway, being the third largest oil exporter in the world, trailing only Saudi Arabia and Russia, will invest in a technology that eliminates the use of petroleum products.
By 2009, the partnership aims to create more hydrogen refueling stations to enable hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles to regularly traverse the national highway from Oslo to Stavanger. The project will in the course of time will be extended to the whole Scandinavian region. In fact, the Scandinavian Hydrogen Highway Partnership is already formed as a joint project between Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
The eleven Toyota Prius hydrogen hybrid vehicles developed by Quantum are designed to store more hydrogen fuel which allows them to travel extended mileage before needing to refuel. The vehicles are equipped with an electronic multi-point hydrogen injection system developed by Quantum. The vehicles are also turbocharged and intercooled.
Aside from these features that increase the performance capacity of the vehicles, they are also loaded with safety features that will protect their occupants. Aside from efficient brake component, as efficient as those from Active Brakes Direct, the vehicles are designed to protect occupants in cases of crashes. To ensure safety of the occupants, the vehicle underwent and passed crash tests according to European standards.
Source: Amazines.com