Nissan introduces world's first solid-oxide fuel cell vehicle

Based on the e-NV200, the solid oxide fuel-cell (SOFC) powered system prototype has a 24kWh battery, and a cruising range of over 600 km. Unlike conventional systems, it uses bio-ethanol fuel and/or natural gas to generate electricity through the SOFC. This increases the driving range of Nissan’s electric cars while also reducing battery charging time. With bio-ethanol, electric vehicles’ efficiency can be amplified while utilising existing infrastructure, making it relatively easy to integrate these vehicles into our future daily lives.

Commonly produced from soy, corn or sugarcane, this form of fuel is widely available in North and South America. Hydrogen is produced through reformation of ethanol in the SOFC system which is used to produce electricity. A small amount of CO2 is produced when ethanol is reformed into hydrogen, but these CO2 emissions are neutralised with the process of growing the plants, making the e-Bio Fuel-Cell prototype carbon neutral. Nissan expects this technology to be ready from as early as 2020.

Eco-friendly transportation

Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn said: “The e-Bio Fuel-Cell offers eco-friendly transportation and creates opportunities for regional energy production…all the while supporting the existing infrastructure. 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.”

Due to the easy availability of ethanol and low combustibility of ethanol-blended water, the system is not heavily dependent or restricted by the existing charging infrastructure. In the future, people may only need to stop by small retail stores to buy fuel off the shelf. Nissan is currently conducting further field tests on public roads in Brazil using the prototype.