Wednesday 8th February 2012

PH2: Suzuki pushes fuel cell technology

Who needs petrol anyway?

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Obviously predicting the end of the world, when Russia turns off the oil supply and the Middle East collapses into further crisis, Suzuki has just announced a joint venture with a British firm who specialises in fuel cell technology.

Intelligent Energy Ltd (IE) and Suzuki have been working together for a while now and having displayed various concept fuel-cell powered vehicles at recent Tokyo motor shows the companies are taking it a stage further. Suzuki has announced it will commercialise and mass produce a fuel cell system using the technology developed by IE.

The work will be carried out in Suzuki's Japanese headquarters in Hamamatsu and also its R&D facility in Yokohama.

Many will question the reasons behind this venture, but with pressure to make nimble 'green' vehicles for urban use the fuel cell designed by IE, which is air-cooled and lightweight, could provide a solution to future transport issues.

Let's just hope the venture between Suzuki and Intelligent Energy goes better than Suzuki's one with Volkswagen...

[Dale Lomas]

It's a Katana!

[swifthobo]

good old suzuki

[McAndy]

Any idea of when this commercialisation will take place and what ball-park the price will be in? I'd be interested to know their expected early user market.

[y2blade]

will it be able to pop a wheelie?

[CliveM]

Or pull the skin off a rice pudding?

[y2blade]

will it do skidz?

[infernal]

why do future technology bikes have to look like something batman might use

honda got it right with their rc-e

[AdamLoewy]

Why make forward looking concepts so insistently yawnsville and backwards looking?
Utilitarian & function does not dictate mediocrity as you only have to look at the Honda Zoomer or G650X for a successful designs.

This reworked into a practical supermotard would be more interesting.

[hurststeve]

I wonder what the fuel, for the fuel cell, is?

[sprinter1050]

hurststeve said:

I wonder what the fuel, for the fuel cell, is?

Tin cans, orange peel & empty crisp packets.

I know.

I watched Back to the Future.

[FlossyThePig]

hurststeve said:

I wonder what the fuel, for the fuel cell, is?

and how long will it take to refuel?

Remember this is an electric bike.

[RemaL]

as Suzuki had already has a hydrogen-powered Burgman scooter has become the world's first fuel-cell vehicle – regardless of the number of wheels – to pass European Whole Vehicle Type Approval tests.

it it the way forward?

[TIGERSIX]

Dale Lomas said:

It's a Katana!

Yep going that way the old Katana still dosnt look dated with todays styling wish I still owned one

[McAndy]

hurststeve said:

I wonder what the fuel, for the fuel cell, is?

Hydrogen and air in this instance I believe.

[_Deano]

what will it sound like, will it be silent?

[PaulMoor]

y2blade said:

will it be able to pop a wheelie?

With an electric motor? Full torque and power from 0rpm? The problem will be stopping it wheelieing

FlossyThePig said:

hurststeve said:

I wonder what the fuel, for the fuel cell, is?

and how long will it take to refuel?

Remember this is an electric bike.

It a fuel cell, so as long as it takes to pump the hydrogen in, probably faster than filling a petrol tank.

_Deano said:

what will it sound like, will it be silent?

Probably, appart from road noise.

[Prof Prolapse]

RemaL said:

it it the way forward?

Given we're still running vehicles on refined dinosaur goo, most of which is owned by the biggest psychopaths and utter wkers in human history, I'm willing to give anything a try.

[rhinochopig]

Why do concept bike always have to add single sided forks or hub-less wheels. We've been shown them for bloody years now, if they work build them, if they don't stop adding them to every daft concept.

[McAndy]

RemaL said:

it it the way forward?

It's a big step in the right direction. Other technologies will also help.

[vintageracer01]

This is the only technology that makes sense to me on the long run.
Replacement of oil dependencies by hydrogen!
Fuel cells are the way forward to sustain long distance mobility in the range of 400 to 500 miles per per fill-up to prices close to the current fuel prices.
Siemens and many other are coming close to feasible solutions to be produced on large scales.
If you read the buff's articles it appears to me that there are plenty of ways to produce hydrogen, often as an unwanted by-product or solar- or wind power plants.

That's why I do not believe in the battery powered car...
Too many disadvantages: Too heavy, to small running distance, long charging times, battery recycling not solved etc., etc.