Future Nissan could be powered by plants

Nissan says it is developing fuel-cell technology that can power cars using plant-based ethanol, a first for the auto industry, and hopes to launch the system in time for Tokyo's 2020 Olympics.This experimental technology will let vehicles drive more than 600 km on a single fill, similar to petrol-powered cars. Fuel cells work by combining hydrogen and oxygen in an electrochemical reaction, which produces electricity.Nissan said on Tuesday it would use bio-ethanol, which comes from crops such as sugar cane and corn, as a hydrogen source as it broadened a green-car strategy that has largely focused on electric vehicles.It said the system would be cheaper than rival offerings because it avoided the huge cost of setting up filling stations and would not require bulky hydrogen tanks to be stored on board.Toyota started selling the world's first mass-market fuel-cell car - the four-door Mirai - in Japan in 2014, while Honda has launched its rival Clarity fuel-cell vehicle. Nissan said its technology would first be made available to firms and local governments by 2020, when Tokyo hosts the Games, before any wider commercial use.Fuel-cell vehicles emit only water from their exhaust pipes, making them the Holy Grail for a car industry increasingly shifting focus to green solutions. But limited range and lack of refuelling stations have, until now, hampered development of fuel-cell and all-electric cars. – Nampa/AFP

Future Nissan could be powered by plants

Kommentaar

Republikein 2025-12-17

Meld asseblief aan om kommentaar te lewer

Future Nissan could be powered by plants

Kommentaar

Republikein 2025-12-17

Meld asseblief aan om kommentaar te lewer

Intekening vereis om toegang tot inhoud te kry. ×

MELD AAN

Advertensie

Intekening vereis om toegang tot inhoud te kry.