Chevrolet Launches World’s Largest Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Fleet

Chevrolet fuel cell electric vehicles will be seen on the streets and driveways of Los Angeles, New York City and Washington D.C., beginning today, in the largest market test ever of its kind.

Customers in suburban Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, D.C. will begin driving more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicles as part of a comprehensive deployment plan dubbed “Project Driveway.” It constitutes the first large-scale market test of fuel cell electric vehicles anywhere.

A variety of drivers – from regular families to celebrities – will have free use of an Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle and the hydrogen fuel it needs to make electricity onboard. The average family will get one of the vehicles for three months and be required to report their experience to Chevrolet.

“These families volunteered to be part of something big," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. "They care about the environment, and they want to help solve our nation’s energy issues. They are pioneers, and we are pleased they have joined our team.

“Drivers will provide regular, candid feedback about their use of the vehicle in their daily lives, the vehicle’s performance and their personal preferences, which is key in defining our product and market introduction plans for fuel cell electric vehicles.”

It takes about 5 minutes to pump 4.2 kilograms of hydrogen into the Equinox. The Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell contains General Motor's fourth generation fuel cell propulsion system including a 93 kw fuel cell, 73 kw front-wheel drive 3-phase asynchronous electric motor and 35 kw nickel metal hydride battery pack. The Equinox Fuel Cell uses 3 carbon fiber fuel tanks, pressurized to 10,000 psi and has a range of 200 miles before refueling, with a top speed of 100 mph

One of the drivers who will test Equinox Fuel Cell will be David Shelton, a computer systems operator from Irvine. This will be the fourth electric car Shelton has taken for a test drive. He tried General Motors' EV1 in the late '90s, experimented with a Ford Think City electric car and, since 2002, has owned an electric-powered Toyota RAV4.

“What we learn will directly influence future electrically driven vehicle generations and ultimate market acceptance,” said Dan Hancock, GM Powertrain vice president, global engineering. “With Project Driveway, GM is demonstrating its commitment to electrically driven vehicles – whether the source of the electricity comes from a lithium-ion battery or a hydrogen fuel cell – as the answer for helping take the automobile out of the environmental debate and reducing our dependence on petroleum. The Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle demonstrates an important milestone on our pathway to electrically driven vehicle development.”

Enabled by GM’s fourth-generation fuel cell propulsion system, the Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle is a fully functional crossover vehicle. It is expected to meet all applicable 2007 U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and is equipped with a long list of standard safety features including driver and passenger frontal air bags and roof rail side-impact air bags; anti-lock braking system (ABS); StabiliTrak stability enhancement technology and OnStar.

[source: GM]