For the last few decades, the interest level in (and DOE funding for) FCVs and EVs has had somewhat of an inverse correlation, with one rising while the other falls. Most conversations and development efforts have focused on one vehicle architecture or the other, not both. But taking a view from above, (more…)

One of the most persistent myths is that fuel cells are always a decade away. Sadly, until recently, this was not far from the truth. In was in the last handful of years that the industry started to move to commercial production.

When I say commercial, though, it is not in the private finance sense of the word in (more…)

Bing Energy, a company that manufactures components for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), which recently entered a partnership with Florida State University (FSU), has been subcontracted by the University of Central Florida (UCF) to develop a low-cost and high-efficiency 500 W portable PEMFC system. (more…)

Clean tech companies hoping to capitalize on the 30% Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit (48C) for re-quipping, expanding, or establishing a manufacturing facility must submit a preliminary application for Department of Energy (DOE) recommendation by September 16, 2009. The federal government has allocated $2.3 billion for this credit. If the limitation is reached during the first allocation round (2009-2010), then no further credit will be permitted.

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Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

Fuel cells and hydrogen were the buzz for years in U.S. automotive industry, until foreign competitors began making waves with hybrids.

Problems with the H included the high cost of infrastructure and the fossil-fuel energy needed to make hydrogen stations work.

That could change if new research on enzymes is realized. A team of scientists from Virginia Tech, Oak Ridge National Lab and the University of Georgia has developed a way of producing hydrogen gas by combining enzymes and cellulosic materials from non-food sources with good old water, according to a news release.

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The stimulus package has allocated somewhere in the neighborhood of $92 billion to “CleanTech” with approximately $300 million to hybrid vehicles, with an amazing $2 billion in grants for battery manufacturing. I realize the purpose of the stimulus is to jump-start the economy with near-term “shovel-ready” projects, but I don’t think longer-term investments we need to drive fossil fuel-free transportation – in particular, investment in battery technology research.

Batteries are the most costly component in hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars, adding ~85% of the incremental cost beyond traditional gas-powered cars. In addition, these costs make Plug-in hybrids and many electric cars economically inefficient for the consumer, often not paying back over the lifetime of the investment. Current battery chemistries yield prices of approximately $1200/kWh for sustained power, and to provide pay-back will require costs closer to $500/kWh. 

The scaling benefits from additional manufacturing facilities will bring these costs down, however, raw materials are roughly 25% of current battery costs, so there is a limit to scale cost savings. There is still significant research and development needed to make these products economically neutral. 

Searching the shovel-ready projects for “battery” only shows ~$15.7m in stimulus funding, and “fuel cell” received a slightly better influx of cash at $100m. But very little of this money is allocated towards motive battery or fuel cell research that will make a step-change difference in cost.  Perhaps they have not made it into the database yet. 

The $2 billion in grants plus $300m for hybrids will drive battery scale, however, I am not sure it will bring costs down enough to sustainably compete with fossil fuels.