Japanese company is the first to develop a practical solid-oxide fuel cell powered vehicle
Nissan recently announced it had begun developing a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) in an attempt to create a future focussed on zero-emission cars.
In Brazil, Nissan has road tested a prototype of the SOFC system which used 100 per cent ethanol to run the battery, using only 12 kilowatts each hour.
Nissan already holds environmental bragging rights, as the Nissan Leaf repeatedly comes out on top of electric car sales, but the SOFC takes it one step further.
By oxidising ethanol – or an ethanol and water blend – the new system produces miniscule volumes of emissions from beginning to end, as the plants grown to create the fuel absorb CO2 and offset any vehicle emissions.
This SOFC differs from electric and hybrid cars, as electric cars need to be charged using (usually) non-renewable electricity, and hybrid cars often use expensive hydrogen.
With heavy vehicles – and transport in general – making a move towards greener methods, this SOFC design could see an affordable and carbon neutral future for buses.
Photography: Nissan