Hydrogen-fueled Ford E-450 Buses to Invade Orlando's Roads
by: Guest
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Word Count: 648
The State of
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has
marked the occasion at the Chevron Hydrogen station which will provide fuel for
the eight buses that are powered by internal combustion engines that run
exclusively on hydrogen.
The Ford E-450 shuttle buses
are powered by a 6.8 liter V10 engine that been supercharged and fine tuned to
run exclusively on hydrogen fuel. Of the eight F-450, two of which are to be
used by the Greater Orlando Airport Authority (GOAA), and additional two are to
be assigned for the Orlando Convention Central District. The remaining four are
to be delivered to customers in
The Ford E-450 shuttle buses in
The Technology behind the Internal Combustion Engine
The Ford E-450 was based on the
belief of Ford Motor Company that the hydrogen combustion engine technology can
serve as a means of allowing hydrogen to become a viable alternative fuel. The
use of hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines provides many advantages
including high-efficiency, all-weather capability, and near zero emissions of
regulated pollutants and greenhouse gases (CO2). And the best thing about
hydrogen fueled internal combustion is the fact that they can be hybridized to
boost further fuel efficiency.
To further enhance its hydrogen
internal combustion engines, Ford is conducting additional research to create
its next generation hydrogen internal combustion engines which will include
features such as direct injection to improve power and fuel economy.
Ford’s strategy for alternative
fuels is shaped around multiple technologies that include hydrogen internal
combustion engines. Through this approach the company is able to meet its goals
in terms of meeting up customer needs, environmental impact and even
shareholder interests. However the strategy does not only focus on one catch
all solution but offers a wide array of options that includes hybrids, E85
ethanol, clean diesels, bio-diesels, advanced engine and transmission
technologies as well as hydrogen fuel cells.
The company has already created
a fleet of 30 hydrogen powered Focus fuel cell vehicles that are now being used
as part of a world-wide, seven-city program that aims to conduct real world
testing of fuel cell technology. The 3-car fleet has already accumulated
500,000 miles of distance traveled since its introduction in 2005. 90,000 of
the 500,000 miles have been recorded in
In addition, Ford---major
stockholder of Mazda the producer of top-of-the-line Mazda AC condenser---
is also conducting tests with the world’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
the Ford Edge with
At present, Ford is offering
gasoline-electric hybrids that include the Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner
Hybrid which are being employed as taxis in some cities of US. The company will
also launched hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan in 2008.
About the Author
Kraig
Johanssen is a native of
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