Nissan Unveils First Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Vehicle

Nissan has rolled out the world’s first solid-oxide fuel cell vehicle.

The Japanese automaker is the official automotive sponsor for this year’s Olympic Games in Rio 2016, and along with contributing a fleet of cars, it debuted a fuel cell prototype that forms part of Nissan’s ongoing commitment to the development of zero-emission vehicles. Called the e-Bio Fuel-Cell, the prototype runs on 100-percent ethanol to charge a 24-kWh battery that enables a cruising range of over 373 miles. The company plans on conducting further field tests on public roads in Brazil using the prototype.

SEE ALSO: Nissan BladeGlider Prototypes Bring Concept Car to Life

The base vehicle is a Nissan e-NV200 and has a 30-liter tank capacity. According to Nissan, “the powertrain is clean, highly efficient, easy to supply, and it runs on 100-percent ethanol or ethanol-blended water.” Nissan chose this direction due to the easy availability of ethanol and low combustibility of ethanol-blended water, meaning the system does not heavily rely on existing charging infrastructure. As a result, a vehicle like this would be easy to introduce to the market.

“The e-Bio Fuel-Cell offers eco-friendly transportation and creates opportunities for regional energy production…all the while supporting the existing infrastructure,” said Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “In the future, the e-Bio Fuel-Cell will become even more user-friendly. Ethanol-blended water is easier and safer to handle than most other fuels. Without the need to create new infrastructure, it has great potential to drive market growth.”

Discuss this story on our Nissan Forum