This year's industrial fair saw two stands about hydrogen and fuel cells: the traditional one on the research market about research and development, and the other on the energy fair for the products and services already on or near the market (see our  press release No. 2/00 of 14. March). New inventors were DaimlerChrysler on a joint stand with XCELLSIS showing a mock-up of Necar 5. The official presentation was heard to be about end of may. Other firsts were the presentations of the French nuclear energy agency CEA, also active in the fields of fuel cells, and the Dutch energy research center ECN.

The Hamburg hydrogen fleet is now in full operation. Six Mercedes-Benz "Sprinter" vans of important Hamburg companies run on hydrogen almost without emissions in normal service. What the great car manufacturers so far present only as concept cars can be seen in real life in normal Hamburg traffic.

A part of the fleet was presented to the public on 27. March (see our press release No. 3/00 of 20. March and No. 1/99 "Filling Station"). The participants reported about the experiences during the operation and their further objectives. Related projects like the one on Munich Airport and at BMW, the fuel cell heating station at Hamburg-Bahrenfeld and DASA's ideas about hydrogen in commercial aviation were presented. Representants of BMW and DaimlerChrysler engaged in a discussion about the advantages of fuel cell and combustion engine.

The car of tomorrow will have a fuel cell which will be supplied directly from a hydrogen tank. This was the consent of numerous experts on a IIR conference on fuel cell vehicles in London in late February. There was, however, no unanimity about the way to this end. Apart from hydrogen methanol is named as a promising transition fuel. But many doubt that the time it will have would be enough to earn the considerable investments in the filling station network. (Reuters, 28. February 2000)

A concept car on the basis of Zafira was shown by Opel on the Geneva motor show. The fuel cell is supplied from a liquid hydrogen tank with 75 l volume. The cell delivers up to 80 kW. The volumetric power density was enhanced by 15 %, the weight was reduced. Another improvement was the ability to start at low temperatures: at -20 °C full power is achieved after 30 s, at -30 °C after 60 s.

Erhard Schubert, head of the German Global Alternative Propulsion Center (GAPC) located at Opel, named as fuel of tomorrow "clearly hydrogen, because such a driving system has the optimum efficiency, generates no exhaust except water vapor, runs almost without noise, and offers a high measure of pleasure at the same time." We hope that the marathon runners during the Olympic games at Sydney will also find pleasure in the car; it will make the pace there.

Joachim Milberg, head of BMW, said during the Geneva motor show: "I am convinced: The BMW Group will sell a few thousand cars running on hydrogen per year in ten years already.". BMW intends to be the world's first car manufacturer to sell serial hydrogen cars, and they will retain the combustion engine: "Alternatives - like the electric car - create so many restrictions that the customer will not accept it," according to Milberg. The sedans of the series 7 will be operated for the first time on occasion of EXPO 2000 in Hannover and Munich. (Press release of 29. February; see "Mobile solid oxide")

Which is the best fuel for the start in the fuel cell car area? A new publication compares hydrogen (made from natural gas, storage as compress gas), methanol (made from natural gas) and gasoline concerning storage, infrastructure costs, fuel costs, car costs, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, effects on oil import, and sustainability. For the hydrogen infrastructure the authors assume that there will be decentral reformers of electrolysers at the filling stations. Result: hydrogen is economically in front, gasoline far behind. Breakthroughs concerning on-board hydrogen storage are not considered as necessary (even if it were not bad if there were some). The changes in the infrastructure are the least for hydrogen, because there is no on-board reformer. This is why also the additional costs for the vehicle are the least. (C.E. Thomas et al., Int. Journal of Hydrogen Energy 25 (2000) 551-67)

The bus demonstration project in Chicago has been finished successfully after two years. The project partners Ballard, XCELLSIS and Chicago Transit Authority announced on 23. March that the vehicles have proven their value in the grind of daily duty, both in the heat of the summer and in the chill of the winter. After 50.000 km with more than 100.000 passengers on board nothing but water vapor was left behind.

Drivers and passengers were satisfied. Drivers reported a smooth, quiet ride, absence of fumes and good acceleration. They also said passengers included visitors to Chicago who had made a point of riding a fuel cell powered bus during their stay.

Between 2000 and 2003 about 25 to 30 buses will be tested in the California Fuel Cell Partnership. There are also plans for a major demonstration project in various European cities, as it could be heard during the Hannover Fair. The first buses will be commercially available probably around 2002 for about 850 kEuro. Until 2004 the price for the serial vehicle will drop to 350 kEuro. This is more than for a Diesel bus, and Ballard finance head Paul Lancaster expects this to remain so. He assumes that the competition will drop out of business not due to the price, but because of more stringent environmental obligations. (Ballard press release of 23. March 2000; see No. 2/99 "Buses")

The new bus generation was presented by DaimlerChrysler research head Vöhringer on 6. April in Frankfurt. There are negotiations with representants of transportation companies from 25 European cities, and the first buses will be sold within the next three months. 20 to 30 are the objective for the next three years. The low-floor bus for 70 passengers delivers 250 kW, has a range of 300 km, makes a maximum of 80 km/h and will cost 1,25 MEuro. The pressure vessels for the hydrogen gas and the fuel cell are on the roof, electric motor, gear, and mechanical axis in the rear part. "We have reached a degree of maturity in the development of the fuel cell ... which lets us give the first vehicles in the hand of the customer. This makes DaimlerChrysler the first vehicle manufacturer of the world entering the market with fuel cell cars", Vöhringer declared. (DaimlerChrysler press release of 6. April 2000)

In 1999 a group from Singapore reported about experiments with carbon nanotubes doted with potassium and Lithium; hydrogen storage factors of 14 and 20 % per unit weight were found. The University of Michigan found that this effect may be caused by water, not hydrogen. The metallic parts form hydroxides with the water, which accounts for the weight increase. Measurements with dry hydrogen led to values around 2 %. (R. T. Yang, Carbon 38 (2000) 623-6; see No. 4/99 "Graphite Storage")

Mannesmann Pilotentwicklung GmbH (mpe) exhibited a device during the Hannover Fair which permits to run PEM cells even on hydrogen containing up to 10.000 ppm CO. CO is known as a poison for catalysts because it reduces the activity of the cell. The device generates voltage pulses which exceed the CO oxidation potential, thus oxidizing it to harmless CO₂. mpe says the device is an important step towards simpler and more economical use of fuel cells because an electronic device is easier to use than a chemical one.

The first fully automatic fuel cell factory of the world will be built on the ground of the German Aerospace Research Institute (DLR) near Cologne airport. It will be property of ZeTek Power. After reaching full output the factory is expected to make more (alkaline) fuel cells than all other manufacturers of the world today together. Zetek boss Abson announced more steps in this direction to come during the next months and said: "The energy of the future is the energy of today. Our company expects great development potentials and an intensive cooperation with the research centers in the fields of product testing, innovations and applications."

Northrhine-Westphalia's minister for economic affairs, Ernst Schwanhold, formally founded the first German competence network for fuel cells on 10. April in Duisburg. Companies and institutions active in the fields of technology, production, and application will participate. (Press release of 5. April; see No. 6/99 "Northrhine-Westphalia promotes")

The state will demonstrate its determination also in connection with the new building of its representation in Berlin. The building will be equipped with a fuel cell, reducing CO₂ emissions by 50 %. "What we make here is the first step towards hydrogen technology", according to minister Vesper during the ground-breaking ceremony on 5. April, even though the cell will run on natural gas initially. Type and manufacturer as well as other details are not yet determined. (Press release of the Northrhine-Westphalian ministry for buildings of 5. April 2000)

Would you like in invest in fuel cells, but do not exactly know how to do it? The Swiss bank UBS hat put the shares of eight companies from the field in a basket. The certificate (WKN: 935 193) expires in March 2004 and is traded in Duesseldorf, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart. 46 % of the shares are from the Canadian company Ballard Power.

BMW, Global Thermoelectric and Delphi Automotive Systems are satisfied with the progress of the development of a solid oxide fuel cell system for cars. A BMW publication states that this technology has important advantages in comparison with other kinds of fuel cells. Most important: neither the electrical system of the car nor the fuel cells need major changes. (As far as propulsion is concerned the Bavarians prefer the combustion engine anyway.) (J. Tachtler et al., SAE World Congress 2000; comp. "Confident")

All three major Detroit car makers have not left the US anti-climate-protection lobby "Global Climate Coalition" (GCC). After Ford and DaimlerChrysler the last, but not least was General Motors who left in mid-March.