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A brand-new conventional diesel powered, 7.5 metric ton class, Mitsubishi Canter truck was delivered to e-Traction Europe B.V. for conversion into a zero-emission city delivery vehicle. In this instance, electric energy generation for the e-Traction® System is being provided by a fuel-cell developed by NedStack, a Dutch company based in Arnhem, that improves the range and peak performance of this zero emission vehicle. About half of the Hytruck project cost has been funded with an Energy Research subsidy provided by SenterNovem on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. The energy efficiency of the patented e-Traction technology has been key to the realization of the design goals. As has been described elsewhere on this site (Mechanical Efficiency), a dual-electric e-Traction direct-drive system uses on average about half the electric energy of conventional geared electrical traction system application. This reduced energy requirement makes it possible to configure a much smaller and lighter system. The energy efficiency results in a much smaller energy storage (Lithium-ion batteries) requirement and fuel cell which are less than half the size of what would normally have been expected. Perhaps most importantly, the lower energy consumption requires substantially less hydrogen storage, which aside from cost and the limited availability of hydrogen have been a severely limiting factors in most fuel cell applications up to now. A desktop analysis regarding a possible conversion of the CUTE buses of the Gemeentevervoersbedrijf Amsterdam with the e-Traction® System indicates that thus converted buses could attain 4 times their current range with the same currently (range limiting) hydrogen storage installation. The available space for revenue generation of a relatively small 7.5 ton truck would have been greatly impacted by the volume of the additional equipment, had a conventional electric traction system been used in combination with a fuel cell instead. A significant increase in the hydrogen storage requirement and generation capacity of the fuel cell would have severely reduced the commercial prospects of the Hytruck project. The e-Traction® System should therefore be considered the empowering technology for the Hytruck. October 18th 2007 Just six months after work started and close to schedule a fully operational, virtually silent and zero-emission vehicle emerged from e-Traction Europe B.V., utilizing two dual electric TheWheel SM500/1FE wheel-hub traction systems, a custom designed rear axle, Lithium-ion batteries, and a 16kW fuel cell, ready for testing in its intended environment: inner city delivery.
After having been test driven and readied for its public debut the Hytruck is being transported to the customer Hytruck B.V., in anticipation of The European Road Transport Show 2007 in the RAI in Amsterdam on October 25th 2007, where it received the (TERTS) Innovation Award 2007.
An further expansion of the test program with additional vehicle conversions is currently in an advanced stage of negotiation. For more detailed information click on tabs on left for specifications and images. |
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April
10th 2007 