Between 1807 and 1986 was a time of great development for hydrogen
cars. From the first Rivaz car designed by Francois Isaac de Rivaz
of Switzerland to the Hippomobile to the GM Electrovan to several
models designed by Musashi, hydrogen vehicles grew by leaps and
bounds over these years.
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In 1986, the Musashi 7 was exhibited
a the Vancouver Transportation EXPO. The Musashi 7 is a small
truck with a four-stroke turbocharged engine that uses liquid
hydrogen for propulsion. |
| 1984 |
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In 1984, the Mercedes Daimler Benz
TN 310 Van was demonstrated in Berlin, Germany. The 10-passenger
Mercedes Daimler Benz TN 310 Van uses an internal combustion
engine with compressed hydrogen to deliver 75 kw at 5600 rpm.
The TN 310 also uses metal hydride storage. |
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In 1984, the Mercedes 280 TE was
demonstrated by Daimler-Benz, Aral, Dornier, Mannesmann. The
Mercedes 280 TE was a dual-fuel vehicle capable of running on
either gasoline or compressed hydrogen gas in its internal combustion
engine. The Mercedes 280 TE was capable of delivering 120 kw
at 5500 rpm. |
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In 1984, the Musashi 6 was exhibited
at the WHEC 5. The Musashi 6 is a small passenger car with a
four-stroke turbocharged engine that runs on liquid hydrogen.
In addition, the Musashi 6 uses in-cylinder injection and hot
surface ignition. |
| 1982 |
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In 1982, the Musashi 5 is a white,
two-door passenger car with a two-stroke engine that uses liquid
hydrogen for propulsion. The Musashi 5 uses in-cylinder injection
and was first exhibited at the WHEC 4. |
| 1980 |
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In 1980, the Musashi 4 is a blue
passenger car with a 2-stroke engine that uses liquid hydrogen
for propulsion. The Musashi 4 uses in-cylinder injection and
was first exhibited at WHEC 3. |
| 1979 |
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In 1979, the BMW 520h is a four-door
passenger dual fuel vehicle that can run on either gasoline
or liquid hydrogen. The BMW 520h used super-insulated cryogenic
tanks for the hydrogen and was equipped with a 3.5-liter direct
injection engine. |
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In 1979, Russia unveiled its Kvant-RAF
(Riga Bus Plant) H2 van that contained a 12 kw alkaline fuel
cell and ran on hydrogen. Because of intense political upheaval
at this time in Russia, the Kvant-RAF H2 van was never further
developed. |
| 1978 |
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In 1978, the H2-4 Chevy
was presented to Jack Nicholson on a CBS special news report.
The H2-4 Chevy used an modified internal combustion engine to
run on hydrogen gas. Nicholson sniffed the tailpipe of the H2-4
Chevy and fogged his glasses to show how clean-burning this
vehicle was emitting only steam. |
| 1977 |
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In 1977, the Musashi
3 is a two-door passenger car with as scoop hood that uses a
two-stroke engine and liquid hydrogen for propulsion. The Musashi
3 uses spark ignition and in-cylinder injection. |
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In 1977, Roger Billings
designed a hydrogen-powered Cadillac Seville, which ran in President
Jimmy Carter's inaugural parade. The Seville was a dual fuel
vehicle able to use either hydrogen or gasoline to extend the
range of the automobile. The hydrogen Cadillac was also equipped
with a state of the art metal hydride tank. |
| 1976 |
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In 1976, Roger Billings
Provo-Orem bus demonstrated the power of metal hydride storage
of hydrogen. The 21-passenger public transit bus made a 13-mile
run in Utah, proving the vehicle could handle the higher weights
of the storage vessels and that even in stop and go driving
conditions the vehicle was 80-percent more efficient that gasoline-powered
vehicles. |
| 1975 |
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In 1975, the Musashi
2 was a passenger car that ran in the SEED Rally in the USA.
The Musashi 2 used a four-stroke engine with manifold injection
and ran on liquid hydrogen for propulsion. |
| 1974 |
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In 1974, the Musashi 1 was unveiled
as the first Japanese hydrogen-fueled vehicle. Created by the
Musashi Institute of Technology in Tokyo, the Musashi 1 used
a 4-stroke engine with homogeneous charge and high pressure
hydrogen to power the vehicle. |
| 1972 |
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in 1972, the Brigham Young Superbeetle,
developed by Roger Billings team, won first place for emissions
in the Urban Vehicle Design Competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Using the water induction method to reduce nitric oxide the
hydrogen-powered Volkswagen actually cleaned the ambient air
and was given a negative number for unburned hydrocarbons and
carbon monoxide. |
| 1970 |
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In 1970, the K. Kordesch passenger car was built by Karl
Kordesch and was based upon an Austin A 40. The K. Kordesch
was a fuel cell hybrid car using seven lead acid batteries
and a 6 kw Union Carbide alkaline fuel cell powered by hydrogen
gas. Compressed hydrogen gas was contained in six tanks strapped
to the top of the car and the K. Kordesch ran on public roads
for three years. The total power output for the K. Kordesch
was 150 kw making it comparable to other cars on the road
at that time.
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| 1967 |
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The 1966 General Motors Electrovan
is the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle of record. The GM Electrovan
was based on the 1966 GMC Handivan and carried all of the fuel
cell parts and hydrogen storage tanks in the back of the van.
The 1966 GM Electrovan was powered by a 5 kw Union Carbide fuel
cell and the vehicle had a range of 120 miles, though it was
only driven on company property. |
| 1966 |
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In 1966, Roger Billings used a Model
A Ford donated by his father and converted it to run on hydrogen.
Two compressed hydrogen cylinders where in the back of the vehicle
and since the vehicle's engine had an L-shaped head, backfiring
was not a problem. Billings used the Model A as part of a high
school science fair project. |
| 1959 |
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The 1959 Allis-Chalmers farm tractor,
developed by Harry Karl Ihrig was demonstrated in Milwaukee
as the first fuel cell vehicle in history. The tractor contained
1,008 small alkaline fuel cells that provided 15 kw of energy,
enough to help the tractor pull 3,000 lbs. in demonstrations.
The Allis-Chalmers fuel cell tractor is now in the Smithsonian
Institute. |
| 1941 |
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The 1941 GAZ-AA truck was created
out of necessity by Mr. Boris Shelishch. During WWII, the Nazis
had surrounded Leningrad, Russia and cut off supplies. Petroleum
was running low. So, military technician Boris Shelishch stepped
in an converted a GAZ-AA truck to run on hydrogen gas. After
receiving orders from top commanders, Boris Shelishch and his
crew were able to convert 200 GAZ-AA trucks in 10 days to run
on hydrogen and demonstrated that they burned cleaner and longer
than those that had run on petrol |
| 1933 |
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In 1933, the Norsk Hydro power company
converted one of their small trucks to run on hydrogen gas.
The Norsk Hydro truck contained an onboard ammonia reformer
to extract hydrogen and run it through its internal combustion
engine. |
| 1860 |
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In 1860, Etienne Lenoir of France invented the 1-cylinder,
2-stroke Hippomobile. The Lenoir Hippomobile was so named
because it received its fuel by electrolyzing water and running
the hydrogen through the small horizontal engine. The Hippomobile
engine ran on "natural cycles" with an uptake of
fuel mixture and a down stroke combusting the exhausted fuel.
Later, Lenoir adapted the engine for various gases such as
coal gas. Around 350-400 of the Lenoir gas motors were built
and sold.
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| 1807 |
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In 1807 Francois Isaac de Rivaz of Switzerland designed the
first internal combustion engine that ran inside the first
automobile. This first experimental prototype was powered
by hydrogen gas and oxygen. The Rivaz car stored compressed
hydrogen gas in a balloon and it had an electrical Volta cell
ignition.
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