| Alternative fuels | Fuel cells | Nissan X-Trail FCV |
Nissan took its
prototype X-Trail FCV to the Nurburgring and on a wet track completed a lap in less than twelve minutes. Nissan's goal is to develop a production ready fuel cell vehicle.
The X-Trail was running on ordinary road tyres and the weather made it difficult for Nissan's racing driver to carry speed through the corners. Given ideal conditions the 11 minute 58 second lap time might have been thirty or forty seconds better. Nissan has still established a record for fuel cell vehicles at the famous German circuit.
The fuel cell works by reacting hydrogen - stored in onboard tanks - with oxygen to produce electricity. The only emission from the vehicle is water vapour although at present producing hydrogen is an energy intensive process. A tank of hydrogen should last for 310 miles or 24-laps of the Nurburgring.
Nissan has been testing the X-Trail FCV in Japan and California since 2006. The goal is to develop more durable fuel cell components, find a better hydrogen storage system and bring the cost down. By 2015 Nissan aims to have a fuel cell vehicle in series production.
John Lambert - 25 Jul 2008