Smith is Doing Trial Runs on Fuel Cell Range Extender
Smith is Doing Trial Runs on Fuel Cell Range Extender
Smith Electric Vehicles is testing a fuel cell that could enable their electric vans and trucks to go twice as far on a charge.
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Battery-powered commercial vehicles have a range limit of around 100 miles (160km), this makes electric vehicles a great choice for in-town operations. The range can be extended, however, by utilizing a small hydrogen fuel cell to help the vehicle to go farther, actually about 100 miles farther.
Smith Electric, a company based in the United Kingdom has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Proton Power Systems, a fuel cell genius based in Germany. Under this agreement, both Smith Electric and Proton Power Systems will work together to produce and put on the market an electric, commercial vehicle that has a Proton PM200 fuel cell to extend its range. The fuel cell is to top-up the batteries and to help with auxiliary functions such as the air conditioner and the heater. The fuel cell will also be a source of electricity that will improve the ease of maintenance.
The partnership will begin with Smith’s hugely successful Edison line of electric vans, which now are being used by some of the biggest names in the United Kingdom’s Fleet services. Big names such as , Sainsbury’ Online, TNT, Royal Mall and , and Scottish and Southern Energy.
Proton Power and Smith will show the vans at the Hanover Fair in April of 2010; soon after this, the two companies plan on releasing the electric vehicles for transportation and maintenance in different German municipalities. The first lot of these electric vehicles is scheduled to be delivered towards the end of 2010.
Article By alex
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