Ford Edge HySeries Drive: Zero Emission Future

Motoring Channel Staff - 24/Jan/2007

Detroit, USA — Is this the world's first drivable fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle with plug-in capability? Ford is confident that it is. Using a flexible hybrid system that combines a 336-volt lithium-ion battery pack with a hydrogen fuel cell, Ford has developed the HySeries Drive system that is capable of delivering enough power for highway driving with speeds up to 136km/h (85mph), and a range of 362km/h (225 miles) with zero emissions.

The 'plug-in' part of the new powertrain relates to the on-board charger (110/220 VAC) that can replenish the battery pack when a standard home outlet is available, making the concept a true plug-in hybrid.

The hydrogen power core can also recharge the HySeries Drive battery pack, but the car needs to be moving for this to happen.

Following BMW's real-world testing of its new Hydrogen 7 Series, the pressure is mounting on the world's biggest car makers to show they are working towards a future that isn't reliant on oil.

The Concept

Using the Edge SUV as a mule, the new HySeries Drive is built around a flexible powertrain architecture, explains Ford, that will enable it to use new fuel and propulsion technologies as they develop without completely redesigning the vehicle.

"This vehicle offers Ford the ultimate in flexibility in researching advanced propulsion technology," said Gerhard Schmidt, who is the vice president of research and advanced engineering for the Ford Motor Company.

"We could take the fuel cell power system out and replace it with a down-sized diesel, gasoline engine or any other powertrain connected to a small electric generator to make electricity like the fuel cell does now," explained Schmidt, highlighting the new hybrid-electric systems flexibility.

As well as the Blue Oval badged cars, Ford owns a range of car companies including Volvo, Mazda and the ailing prestige brand Jaguar - which hasn't turned a profit since Ford took it over - and all these marques could benefit from the development of this new hybrid propulsion system in future models.

HySeries Hybrid Unit

Ford says the plug-in hybrid is powered by a 336-volt lithium-ion battery pack at all times, where in this instance the hydrogen fuel cell is used to recharge the batteries, which then deliver power to the cars wheels.

The vehicle drives the first 40 kilometres (25 miles) each day on stored electricity, after which the fuel cell begins operating to keep the battery pack charged explains Ford, but it adds that individual experiences will vary widely and can stretch out the time between fill-ups to more than 640 kilometres (400 miles) depending on the driving style.

When the battery pack is depleted to approximately 40 percent, the hydrogen fuel cell – supplied by Ford partner Ballard – automatically turns on and begins generating electricity to recharge the batteries and like a conventional automobile, the Ford Edge with HySeries Drive will go until it runs out of fuel – in this case via a 350-bar hydrogen tank that supplies 4.5kg of useable hydrogen.

The only problem at this stage in its development is that there are very few hydrogen filling stations.

The HySeries Drive name is derived from the powertrain’s structure: a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered series hybrid drivetrain. This highly innovative approach reduces the size, weight, cost and complexity of a conventional fuel cell system by more than 50 percent, and Ford claims that it also promises to more than double the lifetime of the fuel cell stack.

Drivers with modest daily needs would need to 'plug-in' (or refuel) infrequently claims Ford, stating that drivers who travel less than 80km (50 miles) each day will see very good fuel economy, and those with long daily commutes will see somewhat lower numbers as the fuel cell must run a larger fraction of the time.

With a top speed of 136km/h (85mph), the Ford Edge with the new HySeries Drive proves that electric vehicles can fulfill everyday driving needs.

The HySeries Drive is a great new idea, but even Ford admits that many significant technical hurdles need to be overcome before a vehicle such as the Edge with HySeries Drive can become a reality, so don't expect to be driving one before the 20s.

Why The Wait?

One of the major issues that car makers face is that the fuel cell technology is very expensive, sometimes costing millions of dollars for each unit at this stage. And the single biggest hurdle to plug-ins remains the cost of large lithium-ion batteries. It doesn't take much to power a mobile phone, but to drive a 2000kg car the battery must be much larger and more powerful, and work also needs to be done to make fuel cells more durable and to create a hydrogen infrastructure, including filling stations.

This is a positive step, and Ford says that research into hydrogen as a viable fuel for passenger vehicles is part of it's overall effort to address the challenges of climate change and energy independence. 

The large automobile company currently sells vehicles like the Ford Escape Hybrid in North America, and is investigating a range of other fuel alternatives, including hydrogen internal combustion engines (like the BMW 7 Series Hydrogen), ethanol, clean diesel and refinements to gasoline fueled engines and advanced transmissions. Some of the technology, such as that seen in Ford's lineup of hybrid vehicles, represent near-term approaches. Other technology, including hydrogen fell cells, must be viewed as long-term options.

Ford currently has a fleet of 30 hydrogen-powered Focus fuel cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city program to conduct real-world testing of fuel cell technology. The fleet has accumulated more than 480,000km (300,000 miles) since inception. With this fleet on the road, a great deal of information that can be integrated into future fuel cell vehicle propulsion systems is being generated in different local environmental conditions.

The world's third-largest car company began working on hydrogen technology in the early 1990s, when Ford's first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, released in 2001, was based on a lightweight aluminium sedan body, which also was used in the development of the company's first hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine.

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