Home Contact Us About Us News Energy Sources Resources
Search

Fuel Cell

These vehicles use a fuel cell to power an electric drive system. Fuel cells are sort of like batteries, but different in that they don't need to be charged. They can run continuously if they have adequate fuel input.

The most common type of fuel cell is fueled by hydrogen. This yields an energy source nearly twice as efficient as a traditional internal combustion engine. The hydrogen reacts with oxygen to produce water and electricity, the latter of which is used to power an electric traction motor. The great thing is, the byproduct is nothing more than clean, clear water!

These powerplants are quite expensive and complicated and it may be awhile before the family's mini-van runs on a hydrogen fuel cell. But the technology is exciting and lots of companies are working hard to develop new and better applications. Connecticut, in fact, is one of the nation's hot beds for fuel cell development. OneThing our state did was develop a city bus in Hartford that runs on hydrogen fuel cells. It's one of only a handful of similar vehicles in the whole country!