Nissan to develop ethanol-based fuel cell technology by 2020

By using the SOFC as its power source, says Nissan, it gives the vehicle cruising ranges similar to gasoline-powered cars (more than 600km).

The bio-ethanol is stored in the vehicle, and the power system uses a reformer and atmospheric oxygen to make hydrogen.

Sugar-cane and corn-growing regions could economically expand if the technology became widespread with no extreme requirements for new infrastructure, which is needed to handle hydrogen for other types of fuel-cell powered cars.

Along with generating electricity, the system will fuel hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Nissan is one of the global leaders in the electric auto market.

Ltd. announced today that it is now researching and developing a Solid Oxide Fuel-Cell (SOFC)-powered system that runs on bio-ethanol electric power. Though Toyota and Honda boast that refueling their respective vehicles takes around five minutes for roughly enough fuel for 300 miles of driving – comparable to how long it takes to fill up a traditional gas-powered auto – that requires actually finding a place selling hydrogen first. Nissan hasn’t embraced hydrogen as much, and has invested more in electric vehicles.

Similarly, the high-pressure tanks the Mirai and Clarity require to safely store hydrogen within each vehicle would also no longer be required, given the hydrogen is produced on-demand from a fuel that, at normal atmospheric pressure, is liquid.

According to Automotive News Nissan aims to bring the technology to market in fleet vehicles by around 2020. The vehicles will have running costs that will be on par with electric vehicles, Nissan said.

Honda began selling its Clarity fuel cell auto in March in Japan. But they require development of hydrogen storage and refueling infrastructure before they can be used on a large scale.

To address the hydrogen infrastructure issue Nissan, along with Toyota and Honda, are working to develop hydrogen station infrastructure in Japan.

Nissan also says the ethanol fuel cell has a “carbon neutral cycle” because it’s produced from renewable crops.