If a Sequel is too rich for your blood, you might want to try the Hydrocell bike
If the cost of a fuel cell-powered car like the Honda FCX or Chevy Sequel is too steep for you budget but you want to go with hydrogen, you can try the Hydrocell bike. The bike was developed by a British company called Valeswood Technology Development uses a metal hydride storage tank integrated with an alkaline fuel cell stack. The bike holds 40 liters of hydrogen which is enough to propel the bike about sixty miles. Apparently the bike is now available for order for about $1,400 although the Valeswood site doesn't have any detailed information. If it works, I'd probably be more inclined to by one of these than pay a similar amount for the Mercedes bike.
[Source: TreeHugger]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joseph 11:06PM (5/20/2007)
Exactly where do you find a hydrogen pump for this bycicle? Or where do you find a can of hydrogen to fill a hydrogen tank?
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heeeat 1:14AM (5/21/2007)
Commercial gas places that sell welding gases would sell you a tank of H2. Google Praxair, etc.
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Chris M 2:51AM (5/21/2007)
alkaline fuel cells are vulnerable to CO2, it tends to neutralize the electrolyte. Therefore, it would either have to have its own oxygen tank, or else have a special filter to remove the CO2 from the air. Either way, it makes for very expensive operation - extra cost for O2, for extra cost for special CO2 filter, or extra cost for rebuilding the fuel cell every few months.
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Giancarlo 10:11AM (5/21/2007)
I heve heard from the company that the bike cost UK£ 3000, actually
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Tormod Henne 10:11AM (5/21/2007)
40 liters (~10 gallons) of hydrogen for 60 miles? You mean this bicycle gets 6 miles to the gallon of hydrogen? How green is that?
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Joseph 1:33PM (5/21/2007)
@Tormod Henne
I don't think hydrogen works like you said "40 liters (~10 gallons)"
I think it's 40 liters of hydrogen gas, which mean it's very little hydrogen. Not ten gallons.
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Tormod Henne 8:28AM (5/22/2007)
Thank you, Joseph, you are right. While it remains true that 40 liters ~10 gallons, you cannot compare 40 liters of gaseous hydrogen to same amount by volume of liquid fuel.
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