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Gordon Murray Design has announced that it is partnering with ACAL Energy to design an affordable fuel cell vehicle.
The project is part of a 12 month feasibility study supported by the Technology Strategy Board.
Gordon Murray Design was one of fourteen innovative British companies to receive government support to carry out feasibility studies into the development of disruptive low carbon vehicle technology that will challenge current thinking.
Andrew Everett, Head of Transport at the Technology Strategy Board, said: “As a part of the low carbon vehicle Integrated Delivery Programme, we are exploring new technologies and testing innovative thinking. Through these studies, we aim to draw out innovative technologies being developed within the UK that have the potential to redefine the current automotive industry view. “
As lead partner Gordon Murray Design will use its revolutionary iStream chassis concept, which reduces the amount of energy and financial investment required to manufacture a vehicle, in combination with the ACAL Energy ‘fuel cell engine’, which uses its Flowcath technology to eliminate expensive platinum from the fuel cell. Together these innovations will significantly reduce the cost and deployment timeframe for an affordable fuel cell vehicle.
Professor Gordon Murray says of the partnership ““The team at Gordon Murray Design are very excited to be working with ACAL Energy in another new area where we can continue to push the boundaries of innovation.”
The Technology Strategy Board is supporting fifteen feasibility studies through this programme, costing a total of £1.6 million including contributions from the participating companies, and they will share about £1 million of government support. The studies will be completed within twelve months and the Technology Strategy Board intends to run a further competition in 2012 which will create an opportunity for follow-on funding.
ACAL Energy is a developer of a new fuel cell technology that will enable low cost and highly reliable fuel cell systems for a wide variety of applications. The company was founded in August 2004 by FlowCath inventor Dr Andrew Creeth and is headquartered in Runcorn, UK.
Fuel cells are a highly efficient and clean energy production technology capable of replacing combustion engines in applications including remote and distributed power and residential cogeneration, as well as automotive and mobile power applications.
FlowCath replaces the expensive precious metal catalyst found in conventional fuel cells with a proprietary low cost liquid catalyst. This not only reduces the cost of the fuel cell, but also provides significant durability and reliability benefits through system simplification and the elimination of the most common failure mechanisms found in standard fuel cells. With this technology, ACAL Energy believes that fuel cells can ultimately replace combustion engines in remote and distributed power, residential cogeneration and automotive applications.
