Honda, Nissan, Toyota See 2015 as Key Year for Fuel-cell Cars

Mar 17, 2008 20:30 Mami Akasaka, Tech-On!

Individuals associated with the hydrogen-based fuel cell vehicle (FCV) business at Japanese automakers agreed on one point about the commercialization of FCVs.

"The key year for the commercialization of FCVs will be 2015."

Opinions coincided at a seminar on March 13, 2008, which was conducted as part of the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC) promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Speakers from automakers and professors from universities repeated similar comments on the stage.

Compared with other green vehicles, such as electric and hybrid cars, FCVs have a long way to go before commercialization.

"If I compare these vehicles to an airplane, I would say that hybrid cars are cruising and electric vehicles have taken off and are climbing, whereas FCVs are taxiing on the runway," said Yasuhiro Daisho, a professor at Waseda University Graduate School.

FCVs are faced with issues such as the improvement in durability of vehicles as well as the reduction in cost of vehicles and hydrogen infrastructure.

"We will solve these issues and confirm the technical feasibility by 2015," said Hisashi Ishitani, Chairman of JHFC Promotion Committee (also a professor at Graduate School of Keio University). "Then, the Japanese government and the industry will make a decision about the commercialization of FCVs."

The automakers agreed with this scenario.

"In order to spread FCVs, we have to reduce the production cost per unit to about 1/100 of the existing level," said Taiyo Kawai, general manager of Fuel Cell System Engineering Div at Fuel Cell System Development Group of Toyota Motor Corp.

"If we succeed in reducing the cost to 1/10 through the technology development, then the resultant cost can be further reduced to 1/10 by the benefits of economies of scale," he said. "The target year for the 1/10 reduction through technology development would be 2015. And the other 1/10 reduction will be probably be achieved in the 2020s, once we start mass-production."

"In addition to the cost reduction, the durability is another major issue," said Iiyama Akihiro, Expert Leader of Nissan Research Center Fuel Cell Laboratory of Nissan Motor Co Ltd. "The key point in the future technology development will be how to facilitate the evaluation of catalysts and membrane materials."

"We hope to develop catalyst carrier materials that are resistant to corrosion in a high potential and catalyst materials that are less likely to be dissolved in a potential cycle while utilizing, with cooperation from the government, the measurement techniques using neutron and X-rays," he said. "I think we'll be able to see our way clear to the commercialization of FCVs with a durability of 10 years by 2015."

"FCVs are appealing to developers because they answer the demands of society," said Takashi Moriya, senior manager of Technology Research Div 1 at the Automobile R&D Center of Honda Motor Co Ltd.

"Their quietness and drivability appeal to consumers as well," he added "As FC stacks and motors shrink, a fuel cell system could even be mounted on a sedan. By 2015, we will be able to see some improvements in the remaining issues, such as cost reduction and durability."

Meanwhile, Nippon Oil Corp and Tokyo Gas Co Ltd, the companies involved in the establishment of hydrogen infrastructure, insisted that support from the government is necessary to promote FCVs, in addition to the technology development of individual devices in the hydrogen infrastructure.

During the initial adoption phase when FCVs are not widespread, the infrastructure should be well organized in advance. The two companies explained that supportive measures for hydrogen stations, which will be forced to operate in the red, are required under such circumstances.

The companies also expressed their requests to the government, noting that "the regulations concerning the hydrogen station siting, etc should be relaxed" (Tajima Masaki, chief manager of Hydrogen Business Project Section at Technology Development Division of Tokyo Gas) and that "the government should take the lead by drawing up a roadmap" (Masahiro Yoshida, general manager of the Research & Development Planning Department of Nippon Oil).

The automakers also suggested that "support from the government is essential during the initial adoption phase with limited production (when the business is difficult)" (Iiyama).

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