DEARBORN, Mich., July 10 – Ford Motor Company will take its 10 years of hydrogen research expertise to the Bonneville Salt Flats in August in an attempt to set the world land speed record in a hydrogen fuel cell powered Ford Fusion.
DEARBORN, Mich., July 10 – Ford Motor Company will take its 10 years of hydrogen research expertise to the Bonneville Salt Flats in August in an attempt to set the world land speed record in a hydrogen fuel cell powered Ford Fusion.
The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 fuel cell car – a collaboratively engineered racer with Ballard, Roush and Ohio State University – is one of two vehicles Ford’s fuel cell research team is helping prepare to set world land speed records. Ford researchers also are working with Ohio State University student engineers on its Buckeye Bullet 2, a fuel cell-powered racer that will compete for a similar world record in the unlimited class category.
“Racing is part of Ford Motor Company’s DNA so it seemed only natural for us to build a fuel cell race car that runs on hydrogen, a fuel that could someday play a key role in meeting the energy needs of the transportation sector,” said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, Research & Advanced Engineering for Ford Motor Company. “Our goal in attempting this record is to further expand our technological horizons with fuel cell powered vehicles. The collaboration with Ohio State University also affords us an opportunity to work closely with a prestigious university, which provides out-of-the-box thinking from student engineers and helps us recruit talented young people to work at Ford Motor Company.”
The land speed record attempt will take place during Bonneville Speed Week from Aug. 10-17. The attempt will be sanctioned by the Southern California Timing Association®.
The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 land speed record vehicle was designed by Ford engineers and fabricated and built by Roush in Allen Park, Michigan. Ohio State students are providing the design of the 770 hp electric motor, while Ballard is supplying the hydrogen fuel cells. Ford retiree Rick Byrnes, a veteran Bonneville racer, will pilot the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 car on its record attempt.
Ohio State students have designed their unlimited class vehicle, dubbed Buckeye Bullet 2, from the ground up. Ballard donated the hydrogen fuel cells for Ohio State’s car, Roush its engineering services and Ford has provided overall project coordination and expertise in fuel cell drivetrains.
In 2004, Ohio State students set the unlimited land speed record for an electric vehicle by running 315 mph in the first Buckeye Bullet, dubbed BB1.
Hydrogen Part of a Broader Effort
Ford’s strategy for alternative fuels is built around multiple technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells. This flexible approach allows the company to meet goals for customer needs, environmental impact and shareholder interests. The strategy does not focus on one catch-all solution but includes a flexible array of options, including hybrids, E85 ethanol, clean diesels, bio-diesels, advanced engine and transmission technologies and hydrogen fuel cells.
The company already has a fleet of 30 hydrogen powered Focus fuel cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city program to conduct real world testing of fuel cell technology. The 30-car fleet has accumulated more than 540,000 miles since its inception in 2005.
Ford also is conducting tests with the world’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Ford Edge with HySeries Drive. The Ford Edge with HySeries Drive uses a series electric drivetrain with an onboard hydrogen fuel cell generator to give the vehicle a range of 225 miles with zero emissions.
Currently, Ford offers gasoline-electric hybrids including the Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. The company will also offer hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan in 2008.
Press release via Ford
4 comments so far
This is not coming a minute too soon. There are so many different types of alternative fuels, why are we dragging our feet, reason…BIG OIL. If the oil companies were not standing in the way these fuel methods would have already been in place years ago.
Bryan
http://www.racinsite.com
July 11th, 2007 at 4:02 am
Yeah Man. I agree with Bryan. There are many alternative fuels we can use that will not exhausting our raw resources and create pollution. I believe in the near future, we will be using hydrogen fuels or other alternative fuels for our cars
July 13th, 2007 at 3:27 am
I agree, politic and bussiness around OIL is too strong!! Some of todays green technologies were already known in the early 80’s….!
http://www.lucianobove.blogspot.com
July 13th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Interesting,
I know this has happened in the past, but with the internet there is faster information available than ever before, so new technologies are being discussed all the time now at the speed of light.
Years past this was not the case and inventors could disappear with little notice, not so today. I think the time has finally come to see many of these alternative fuels to come to market through people power, word of mouth spreads like wildfire online.
Hydrogen is the answer, so even if all the bugs are not worked out yet, we are closer than ever, so close you may see hydrogen fusion before the next year ends. Hydrogen fuel cells are advancing, but still too costly, but hydrogen fusion is now cost effective, so look out. For an idea just how far this has come, take a look at news video on salt water iginiting to 1500 degrees with a flick of switch with radio wave frequency modulation, so take a look.
July 14th, 2007 at 2:16 am
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