GM: Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Tech Developing Too Rapidly to Produce
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Earlier this week, General Motors announced that it would be changing the name of GM Powertrain to GM Global Propulsion Systems. This, in effect, indicates GM’s efforts to gradually focus more on alternative powertrains, possibly including the development of a hybrid fuel-cell vehicle.
While GM already has plenty of hybrids and EVs and PHEVs, it still has yet to reveal any advances with FCEV technology. The reason for this, as it turns out, may have to do with the technology advancing too quickly.
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According to Ward’s Auto, GM’s Executive Director of Global Fuel-Cell Activities Charlie Freese said that the automaker is fully capable of producing a dedicated FCEV, but that with the rate at which the technology is developing, its production units would likely be outdated by the time the vehicles hit the market.
In fact, a 2016 fuel-cell vehicle prototype is already “antiquated” according to Freese, who says that bringing an FCEV to market “has to be timed right.” He also cites company concerns about hydrogen refueling infrastructure, which is far from widespread.
GM hasn’t lacked for effort in terms of FCEV development, to be sure: it has taken out more fuel-cell patents than any other automaker since 2002.
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News Source: Ward’s Auto
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