GM Readies Fuel Cell Technology

Anthony Fontanelle
June 21, 2007

General Motors has announced it is moving more than 500 fuel cell experts from advanced development laboratories to core engineering functions to prepare fuel cell technology for future production.

Over 400 fuel cell engineers will report to the company’s Powertrain Group to start production engineering of fuel cell systems. The automaker added that 100 workers will transfer to GM's Global Product Development organization to begin integrating fuel cells into future product lines. Additionally, over 150 fuel cell scientists and program support will remain as part of the automaker’s Research and Development center. They will continue advanced research in hydrogen storage, fuel cells and program commercialization. The decision of the largest American automaker is aimed at expediting its efforts to produce vehicles that displace petroleum through energy diversity.

GM Vice President Research and Development and Strategic Planning Larry Burns stands with the company’s E-Flex Fuel Cell variant. "Eight years ago we said that hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle technology could make a major contribution to solving the energy and environmental challenges facing the automobile industry," said Burns. "Today's announcement signals another important milestone as we move fuel cell vehicles closer to future production."

"Moving our fuel cell experts from advanced development laboratories to our core engineering organizations highlights our strong commitment to developing electrically-driven vehicles using diverse energy sources" said Tom Stephens, the GM Group Vice President of Global Powertrain.

The GM realignment is another initiative in its commitment to displace petroleum usage in the industry through a range of propulsion alternatives. The alternatives include the E85-capable biofuel vehicles, two-mode hybrid system for large city buses, a two-mode hybrid system for the Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon, the Saturn Vue Green Line and Saturn Aura Green Line Hybrid Systems, and a two-mode hybrid Vue Green Line.

The largest American automaker shared details about its fifth-generation fuel cell system technology at the Shanghai Auto Show in April when it introduced the fuel cell-powered E-Flex version of the Chevrolet Volt. This updated system is half the size of its forerunner but delivers the same performance and power. The Volt may not be flaunting the Chevrolet Camaro heat shield but it features the most advanced technology in the auto industry. The Volt is expected to be released a few years from now.

Currently, the company’s fourth-generation system powers the Chevrolet Sequel and Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles. The Sequel is the first electrically-driven fuel cell vehicle to achieve over 300 miles on one tank of hydrogen, in and out of traffic on public roads, while generating zero emissions. The Equinox Fuel Cell will be introduced later this year as part of Project Driveway, which will place over 100 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with consumers in New York, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.

Leading the fuel cell engineering team is Dr. J. Byron McCormick, the current executive director of GM Fuel Cell Activities. McCormick will report simultaneously to Dan Hancock, the GM Powertrain Vice President for Global Engineering, and John Buttermore, the GM Powertrain Vice President for Global Manufacturing.

McCormick has been working on electric and fuel cell propulsion system research and development for more than three decades. He was part of the development of the EV-1 electric vehicle. In the past decade, he has led the GM fuel cell activities team to becoming the leader in fuel cell technology worldwide.

GM offers more vehicles that achieve 30 mpg on the highway than any other automaker in the U.S. market. Additionally, the company is also the first automotive member to join the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a group of global companies and non-governmental organizations formed to back an campaigns aimed at limiting carbon emissions.

Source:  Amazines.com