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Ford's latest hybrid vehicle has no gasoline engine
Ford's hybrid Edge, a battery-powered, plug-in, with a fuel cell to charge the battery and no gasoline engine, debuts this week at the Washington, D.C. auto show. In essence, the vehicle is powered by a portable generator. Because there is no gasoline or diesel engine, the vehicle's exhaust is just water vapor from the fuel cell. The fuel cell generates electricity only to recharge the battery, not to directly power the car. That allows a smaller, simpler, cheaper fuel cell. But that's partly offset by the need for a bigger, heavier, pricier, more exotic lithium ion battery.Even so, Ford (F) says there would be a net savings in cost and weight in a production vehicle based on the prototype. Ford says it will build one more, but has no plans to put the vehicle into production. Posted by: Fred 2007-01-23 |
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