Nissan Tests Fuel Cell Technology in British Columbia

Nissan Canada Inc. has announced an initiative that will put its newest fuel cell-equipped vehicle to the test in Canada. The new 70 megapascal (MPa) high-pressure hydrogen-powered Nissan X-Trail FCV (fuel cell vehicle) arrived in Canada for testing which will take place in and around the Greater Vancouver Area.

The Nissan X-Trail FCV contains a Canadian-built hydrogen fuel cylinder manufactured by Dynetek Industries Ltd. of Calgary, Alta. The vehicle is being tested at Surrey, B.C.-based Powertech Labs Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BC Hydro, in conjunction with Fuel Cells Canada. Fuel Cells Canada manages the Hydrogen Highway, a coordinated, large-scale demonstration and deployment program intended to accelerate the commercialization of hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies. Nissan joined these organizations in Surrey to kick off the testing.

A fuel cell vehicle is in effect an electric vehicle, using a fuel cell to convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. The electricity is generated by a chemical reaction inside the fuel cell stack when hydrogen from the fuel cylinder combines with oxygen in air. The only by-product is water, making FCVs completely emissions-free.

“With partners such as Nissan and BC Hydro, we are able to test compressed hydrogen in real world situations,” said Robb Thompson, Dynetek Industries Ltd. “Through these tests, we have demonstrated that compressed hydrogen is the best commercially suitable alternative for the success of the hydrogen economy.”

Nissan will test the vehicle in a number of environments and drive cycles, including moderate cold-weather, high-speed hill climbs and highway driving, to evaluate the vehicle’s capabilities and the hydrogen fuel system’s performance.

“As members of the Hydrogen Highway, we are pleased to support Nissan’s vehicle testing program,” said Livio Gambone, Manager, Vehicle Programs at Powertech. “Our climate and geography, plus access to our 70 MPa hydrogen filling station, make the Vancouver area the best and only place to test the viability and endurance of this FCV.”

The 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen-powered Nissan X-Trail FCV is the company’s most-recent developmental fuel cell vehicle. Equipped with the first-ever Nissan-constructed fuel cell stack, the X-Trail FCV also boasts a more compact design and increased power. A previous 2003 model offered a cruising range of 350 km, but thanks to improved stack efficiency and a 30 percent increase in the high-pressure Dynetek hydrogen cylinder’s storage capacity, the new X-Trail FCV is expected to achieve a cruising range of more than 500 km.

Nissan has been working on FCV development since 1996. In addition to design and engineering work conducted in Japan, extensive testing and development has also been conducted in other markets, including the United States, where Nissan is a member of the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP).