Originally Posted by Issues_In_Science_and_Technology

DANIEL SPERLING Updating Automotive Research

Although the Bush plan for a new generation of vehicles has merit, more will be needed to accelerate commercialization.

On January 9, 2002, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Spencer Abraham announced a new public-private cooperative research program with the three major domestic automakers. According to a press release, the program would " promote the development of hydrogen as a primary fuel for cars and trucks, as part of our effort to reduce American dependence on foreign oil ... [and] ... fund research into advanced, efficient fuel cell technology, which uses hydrogen to power automobiles." Called FreedomCAR (with CAR standing for cooperative automotive research), the program replaces the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV), which was launched by the Clinton administration with great fanfare in 1993.

The reaction to FreedomCAR, as reflected in press headlines, was largely skeptical. "Fuelish Decision," said the Boston Globe. "Fuel Cell Fantasy," stated the San Francisco Chronicle. A Wall Street Journal editorial asserted that fuel cells were expensive baubles that wouldn't be plausible without vast subsidies. Automotive News, the main automotive trade magazine, expressed caution, stating that, "FreedomCAR needs firm milestones... Otherwise it will be little more than a transparent political sham."

DOE has since released a tentative set of proposed performance goals for vehicle subsystems and components, which were immediately endorsed by the three automakers. Nonetheless, skepticism about the program continues, which is not surprising given the Bush administration's ambivalence toward energy conservation and tighter fuel economy standards. Yet viewed strictly as an updating of PNGV, FreedomCAR is a fruitful redirection of federal R&D policy and a positive, albeit first step toward the hydrogen economy. However, for FreedomCAR to become an effective partnership and succeed in accelerating the commercialization of socially beneficial advanced technology, additional steps will need to be taken.

What was PNGV?

The goal of PNGV was to develop vehicles with triple the fuel economy of current vehicles [to about 80 miles per gallon (mpg) for a family sedan], while still meeting safety and emission requirements and not increasing cost. . .

Originally Posted by PNGV

The GM concept vehicle, the Precept, is designed to meet all of the Goal 3 functional targets (with the exception of luggage space) and is expected to achieve 80 mpg using a dual-axle regenerative parallel hybrid power train (GM, 2000). . . . A fully functional version of this car is expected by the end of 2000.

The Precept hybrid is a very complex vehicle and represents state-of-the-art performance in all of its design parameters and components. The body structure is an aluminum-alloy space frame with both aluminum and plastic exterior panels. Every component has been designed to fulfill its function with minimum weight. The aerodynamic drag coefficient has been reduced to 0.163, the lowest known value for a five-passenger automobile and lower than that of any production vehicle. The propulsion system consists of a 1.3-liter, three-cylinder, CIDI, turbocharged, 44-kW aluminum engine coupled with a 10-kW peak power electric motor and alternator mounted in the rear of the car, plus a 25-kW peak power electric motor and alternator in the front. The rear unit employs a four-speed, automatically shifted, manual transaxle. This configuration permits regenerative braking on all four wheels, the energy is stored in either a lithium-polymer or a NiMH battery pack, with a 3-kWh usable energy capacity. Curb weight of the vehicle is 2,590 lbs (1,176 kg); the wheel base is 112 in (2,839 mm); the overall length is 193 in (4,906 mm); and overall width is 68 in (1,726 mm). . . .

Originally Posted by PNGV

The Ford Prodigy, also an HEV concept car, is designed to meet all of the functional requirements of Goal 3 and deliver about 70 mpg (Ford, 2000). Ford has chosen a “low storage requirement hybrid design” for this car. The power train, which is considerably simpler than the power train for the GM Precept, consists of a 1.2-liter, four-cylinder, CIDI, turbocharged 55-kW aluminum engine with a starter/alternator that replaces the engine flywheel. A five-speed, automatically shifted, manual transmission is used. The starter/alternator is rated at 3 kW continuous, 8 kW for three minutes, and 35 kW for three seconds. The hybrid NiMH battery is designed for high power, but its storage capacity is only 1.1 kWh. The Prodigy vehicle has an all aluminum body with a wheel base of 109 in (2,781 mm), an overall length of 187 in (4,747 mm), . . . a curb weight of 2,385 lbs (1,083 kg), and an aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.199.

Originally Posted by PNGV

The power train in the DaimlerChrysler ESX3 PNGV concept car is very similar to the one in the Ford Prodigy (DaimlerChrysler, 2000). The battery, however, is expected to be a Li-ion pack with a peak power capability of 22 kW to supply a DC brushless, permanent-magnet motor instead of a three-phase induction machine. Its six-speed manual transmission has two clutches to smooth shift transitions.The most innovative feature of the DaimlerChrysler ESX3 is its large injection-molded plastic body sections, which presents the possibility of building a body structure that is simultaneously both lighter in weight and lower in cost than a conventional steel body and fully recyclable. The curb weight of the ESX3, 2,250 lbs (1,021 kg), is lower than the curb weights of the other two concept vehicles(Prodigy: 2,385 lbs (1,083 kg); Precept: 2,590 lbs (1,176 kg). . . .