Hydrogen-powered cars to make its way to S'pore - Singapore's Online Community

**Voodoo Vince** · 13-02-2008, 10:16 PM

Hydrogen-powered cars to make its way to S'pore
By Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 13 February 2008 1456 hrs

SINGAPORE: The availability of an environmentally friendly car has just widened. Besides popular choices like hybrid cars or even those running on compressed natural gas, the hydrogen car is another choice.

However, it is more than just a case of supply and demand when purchasing these cars.

Touted as one of the greenest cars available today, is the BMW 7 Series. Its only emission is water, when it's powered by liquefied hydrogen.

BMW believes using hydrogen fuel will help save the environment and reduce the dependence on crude oil.

This next generation green car can also run on petrol in the same engine as hydrogen fuel isn't readily available yet.

However, running a car using hydrogen costs more.

A kilogramme of liquid hydrogen costs about US$11 or about S$16.

Covering 100 kilometres with the hydrogen car will end up costing US$42 dollars or about S$60.

If it ran on petrol, it will cost US$27 or about S$38. These figures are also based on European petrol and hydrogen fuel prices.

The Hydrogen 7 model is likely more expensive than petrol only versions.

Roland Krueger, Managing Director of BMW Group Asia, said: "The comparison is not really fair meaning that, today the infrastructure is not as developed as fossil fuel structure so given that we will have a comparable base with the same kind of infrastructure, then the price of liquid hydrogen will be much more comparable."

However, it still boils down to the question of which comes first?

Building refuelling stations or making more hydrogen cars?

Fred Zheng from Hydrogen Solutions said: "The first I believe is government support, second is establishing infrastructure in place.”

"The third is - we need to have economies of scale with the production of cars to make the cars cheaper and fourth is find a way to have R&D and making hydrogen cheaper," he added.

In Singapore, this hydrogen push has the support of the National Environment Agency, the Singapore Environment Council and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

It still remains to be seen if this would be enough to generate a nationwide network of refuelling stations.

So far BMW has made some 100 hydrogen vehicles, but it'll be some years to go before it becomes commercially available.

BMW will bring several of its latest hydrogen cars in early March for trials. -CNA/vm

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...328527/1/.html

**Sgblubber** · 13-02-2008, 10:22 PM

still long way to go for people to drive them..

no refueling stations, expensive cars, expensive hydrogen?

**Voodoo Vince** · 13-02-2008, 10:24 PM

Sooner or later, the government will force everyone to get these cars.

**Shazwi** · 13-02-2008, 10:28 PM

yeah... global warming is damm bad today... the figures are just jaw dropping... ride bicycle better

**Voodoo Vince** · 13-02-2008, 10:31 PM

Then can be like old China where people own bicycle only.

**facevoid** · 13-02-2008, 10:35 PM

siao liquified hydrogen.
wont it be very cold?
but hope it will save the environment.

Dan · 13-02-2008, 10:52 PM

Great news to hear. But it'll be a longer time for me to own these cars than they take to become commercial in Singapore. Orz.

**fathernature** · 13-02-2008, 10:57 PM

lol true enough man. but water is also limited = good idea cuze will stop flooding

**boltzz** · 13-02-2008, 10:59 PM

stupid la, hydrogen petrol more ex than normal one, who wan to buy?

**Voodoo Vince** · 13-02-2008, 11:17 PM

All things will have a Product Life Cycle.