Necar 5, a car with fuel cell

2001/01/11 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Garraioak
• Energia berriztagarriak

The car image is the Necar 5, which works with a fuel cell from the DaimlerChrysler house.

Necar 5 is based on the commercial car of the Class A of Mercedes. In addition to Daimler, Ford, Peugeot, Opel and other car manufacturers are developing cars with fuel cells. They are electric cars with characteristic of electric cars. Necar 5 can reach a speed of 150 km/h and a range of 450 km.

Fuel cells, in principle, function as batteries. They generate electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. The reaction is electrochemical, that is, it is not combustion, where the chemical energy is transformed into electricity and heat. Almost the only residue that is generated is water vapor. The fuel is hydrogen, but it is difficult to obtain, accumulate and distribute pure and therefore expensive hydrogen.

The Necar 5 car uses methanol as a source of hydrogen. When done so, the hydrogen used is not pure, so it reduces the efficiency of fuel cells and produces some contamination.