SAE 2009: mix hydrogen and a wheelchair to get the H-ergo
H-ergo - Click above for high-res image gallery
Hey look, it's a hydrogen PUMA (sort of). We almost walked right past the H-ergo Piemonte Personal Mobility Vehicle at the SAE World Congress this week thanks to its small size. Once we stopped and checked the H-ergo out, we learned that this is a hydrogen-powered wheelchair-esque vehicle intended for cities and other places where a small size and zero vehicle emissions are benefits (indoors, anyone?). Power comes from two 800 watt electric motors run from a hydrogen fuel cell and the H-ergo can go whizzing by at 12.4 miles per hour (20 km/h). If you start with a full charge, the H-ergo can run for two hours. Certainly not enough for a full day if you're someone who is dependent on a vehicle like this to get around, but at least the work done by From Concept To Car, among other groups, makes the wheelchair seriously futuristic. See more details here and in the gallery below.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Randy C. 3:17PM (4/22/2009)
It has the same problems that a HFC (Hydrogen Fuel Cell ) car does. Where to get the fuel? The fuel will be constantly leaking away requiring constant replenishment. The Hydrogen has to be laboratory grade with no contaminates that will clog the fuel cell. It will take 4 to 5 times more energy to go a mile than if you simply charged the battery.
Another expensive folly that looks good on paper but when you start looking at the implementation its not such a good idea.
Reply
Tim 3:48PM (4/22/2009)
Sebastian,
Why do you compare this vehicle to the GM/Segway PUMA? The only similarity between the H-ergo and the GM PUMA is that they both have seats. Other than that, your analogy is total bias BS. And I thought you were open-minded about trying to reinvent the automobile and the future of human transportation. Apparently, I was wrong.
Reply
Chris M 3:51PM (4/22/2009)
12.4 mph for 2 hours, in other words nearly 25 miles. Is that far enough to get to the nearest H2 filling station and back?
Sorry, but this isn't a big performance improvement over standard electric wheelchair/scooters, but it is a big boost in price. With an $8K fuel cell, this thing would probably cost over $10K, several times the price of even a fancy LiIon powered wheelchair, and ridiculously more than the price of a typical lead acid powered scooter.
Reply
posterboy 11:18PM (4/22/2009)
Hey GORE!!!
The H2 Vehicle of your dreams has finally arrived! Whats the sticker price for this badboy?
Reply
Giuliano 5:27AM (4/27/2009)
i really dont understand : why nobodody develop anymore the direct methanol feul cell?
H2 vehicle have still too much troble to solve.
i guess for performance: one 30 -40 % of energy evanish for cooling ok but is still strongly better than a thermical engine that throw the 70% of energy in cooling.
but i heard that the lithium phosfate promise to increase the energy density of 4-6 times so if that is the future develop no way for fuel cell...
Reply