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Perhaps you missed the part about the trial runs of first and second generation products.
Three buses in Chicago working for two years. 50% operation rate. (Not bad for first generation fuel cells.) They have also gone forward with several other pilots. Including a car project in California.
The folks a Ballard are realistic enough that they intend to get the manufacturing process down to where they can produce the engine for roughly the same amount of money as conventional combustion engines. They are also working on a hydrogen bromide salt fuel which is combined with water to produce hydrogen and oxygen needed for operation. (Something your model lacks is adequate power to perform electrolosys efficient enough to put enough power back into the battery and run the engine. At some point, your vehicle needs to be recharged. People won't like that.)
The Oil companies still have a market in petroleum products. It just removes gasoline from the mix. Not the products used in lubrication of moving parts, petroleum jelly, or it's military counterpart jellied petroleum. The hydrogen market could be done by any number of labs. There are several major suppliers of hydrogen gas. Any chemical company could produce the hydrogen bromide salt in quantity. Do you honestly think that Dow chemical and Eastman chemical companies don't have the cash to fend off the oil companies? Don't forget DuPont and Pharm-Eco either.
In addition, Gillig Corporation, which produce heavy duty transit buses, has ordered three fuel engines for buses to enter service in 2004 for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
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Well, I'm hoping that this is accurate and that we are moving steadily in the right direction.
It is my understanding that the Ballard system is just an electric motor powered by electricity generated in a hydrogen fuel cell. After a while the hydrogen must be replenished. If I'm wrong please enlighten. I would like nothing more than to see the Oil companies go the way of the dinosaur. (pun intended) They've had their stab at the cash cow and I think they've had there fill but I agree that we still need petroleum products for lubrication and plastics etc,unfortunately. There are however alternatives to this as well.(synthetics)
As for the other chemical mfg'ers you mention I don't really like that idea either as they have been equally responsible for biosphere degradation as the Oil firms. Unless they really clean up their act they will still pollute and then they will be the new fuel cartel sucking our pockets dry.
About that hydrogen bromide reaction ... I used to be pretty good at chem but tell me again what the by-products are again ... H an O and what of the bromide and is this toxic. I know they use a bromide in swimming pools in place of chlorine.
Well, lost my thought train for the time being
bye bye.