Ford fuel cell car sets 207 MPH speed record

Perhaps there's a freeway with a 207 mph speed limit I don't know about?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 19 2007, 04:47 AM) [snapback]498543[/snapback]</div>

Autobahn

 

This was PR all the way. Racing does create a lot of technology that we see in our vehicles but I don't see hydrogen happening. These guys have to make it seem like they're doing something. I think Toyota is going to crush these guys with the next gen hybrid.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Aug 19 2007, 01:06 PM) [snapback]498678[/snapback]</div>

Exactly, a lot of people who are scared of change think that without gasoline you will be driving a slow P.O.S. Another rumor about hydrogen that you will hear is that it is dangerous and can explode, but many fail to realize that Gasoline is more explosive and ignites easier.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(morpheusx @ Aug 19 2007, 11:15 PM) [snapback]498940[/snapback]</div>

I don't think speed is the issue with hydrogen at this point. I've always thought that the problem with explosions was the extreme pressure the storage tanks are under and what would happen in an accident.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Topgas @ Aug 20 2007, 06:53 AM) [snapback]499037[/snapback]</div>

The Civic GX runs on compressed natural gas. I drive them at work. I don't worry about the fuel tank any more than I worry about the gas tank in conventional cars. A tank for compressed gas is way sturdier than any gasoline tank in a car.

Also, I've heard that people are looking at other schemes for hydrogen fuel, besides compressed hydrogen. All this hydrogen business is a long time off, if it ever happens.

Harry

 

Well to add to the "well I thought..." comments

I thought the danger with hydrogen is that it burns colorless, so you won't know there's something on fire until you hear a boom from something else.

 

Not sure that "race on Sunday, sell on Monday" works as well as it used to.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Earthling @ Aug 20 2007, 09:11 AM) [snapback]499099[/snapback]</div>

I humbly agree; with such a small molecule, I'd think that every piece of the refueling infrastructure would be lots more expensive than what we're using now, to control the flow of a liquid.

 

The space shuttle engines are powered by hydrogen and oxygen. Lot's of power in H2. Now unfortunately with ~50,000 traffic deaths a year, it really seems out of place to worry too much about any extremely rare event with H2, or CNG, or LiIon batteries. H2 is a dead end due to economic reasons, not safety reasons.

 

Not to thrash anyone but did people actually read the article in question before bashing Ford for PR stunts?

This is a race car, not something that John Q Public is going to pick up on the lot. Not to mention this was about OSU engineers MAKING it do this, Ford probably donated the car, that was as much PR as went into it. They did it most likely to break a record and that's it.

OSU also broke the record for electric power car by going 314mph as it says in the article, does this mean all electric cars are doing this for a PR stunt too?