A motorbike 167 years in the making
 Intelligent Energy, of Britain, aims to launch motorbikes powered by fuel cells (prototypes above) late next year. |
Consider the fuel cell.
Its properties were demonstrated in 1839 by William Grove, a Welsh judge, inventor, and physicist. He mixed hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of an electrolyte and produced electricity and water.
No noise, no pollution, no unwanted byproducts. But not enough electricity to be a useful device then.
Ever since, the possibilities have been tantalizing.
After all, fuel cells have been proven to work. And not only in the laboratory but in the most demanding of applications: They provide both electricity and drinking water (at the same time) on the space shuttle. That was one case of science fiction becoming fact.
All manner of fuel cell-powered vehicle prototypes have been developed in an attempt to harness this Holy Grail of energy.
The potential remains incredibly inviting -- in business, political and environmental circles -- especially when we can foresee the production of virtually unlimited power from renewable agricultural resources (sugar cane, sugar beets, corn), along with weaning ourselves from fossil fuels, resources that remain politically charged.
But problems such as obtaining hydrogen, producing enough power from the cells, and making the technology affordable have always kept that Grail tantalizingly out of reach.
It could be that's about to change. Or has changed.
To those of us who said, ''Show us the vehicles already," a British company, Intelligent Energy, last month replied, ''Here it is."
The company introduced the ENV (pronounced ''Envy," an acronym for energy neutral vehicle). No, it's not a bus, nor an SUV, not even a family sedan. It's a motorbike designed for the urban commuter. A fuel cell-powered motorbike.
Huh? A motorbike is going to save us from relying on imported oil?
Maybe, just maybe.
''The first objective is to show what the fuel cell is capable of," said Andy Eggleston, vice president and ENV project director for Intelligent Energy, after the company unveiled the vehicle in Los Angeles on June 14.
The photos tell much of the story: The vehicle has contemporary styling. It looks like a motorbike and, more important, performs like one.
What differentiates it from a traditional motorcycle or one of Europe's ubiquitous swarms of scooters are several characteristics:
Sounds good. So what's the downside?
For now, refueling and price.
''Hydrogen is readily available. One phone call in any major city and a truck can drop off a canister," said Eggleston. ''It's just not readily available along the highway."
A subsidiary of Intelligent Energy is working on several sizes of ''reformers" -- devices that would produce hydrogen from natural gas, such as ethanol or bio-mass. ''We're projecting a home-sized unit might retail for $1,500," Eggleston said. ''You'd pour ethanol or a bio-mass (sugar cane, corn, sugar beets) in one end and hydrogen gas comes out the other end for the bike."
Convenient, yes. But you'd have to convert a lot of hydrogen to make it cost-effective.
But the company isn't stopping with motorbikes. It envisions portable fuel cells such as its ''CORE" -- the seven-pound fuel cell stack used in the ENV -- being able to power anything from an ATV to a personal watercraft to a small home.
The company pitched its system to manufacturers for several years, finding a combination of interest and foot-dragging. ''Finally we took the wool into our own hands," said Eggleston.
Since the introduction of the prototypes, ''We've been deluged by responses from all over the world," Eggleston said. ''It's proven what we suspected all along and what independent surveys have shown: that the public is more ready for this technology than tradition manufacturers would have you believe."
The company's target price for the bike is $6,000, which may be overly optimistic.
Eggleston, once in charge of developing the website for ''a major automotive manufacturer," points out reasons he believes this initiative will work:
''The message we've delivered with the prototype is that the fuel cell-powered vehicle is here," said Eggleston.
Well, almost. The production launch is late next year, and a variety of distribution systems are under consideration.
From Grove's discovery in 1839 until 2006. A motorbike that was 167 years in the making should be pretty good.
''You can see the day when man will be free to travel at will without cost to the earth," Eggleston said.
The world awaits, though the cost won't be cheap for the ''early adopters."
