A company called HandbookLive has just produced a video for General Motors and its Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicle. The video is unlike many others in that it not only features the fuel cell components but other features of the vehicle that make this more of a general consumer video than an early adopter video.
For instance, not only do you get an education about fuel cells, the compressed hydrogen carbon fiber tanks, nickel metal hydride batteries and regenerative braking. But in addition to these high tech features, the company talks about the Equinoxes heated power seats, split front grill and extra air inlets near the front grill.
Like other GM products the Equinox FC also comes with Onstar, keyless entry, power door locks and windows, power steering and cruise control. The vehicle also comes with 4-wheel ABS, front and rear disc brakes, and McPherson struts on the front.
So the video blends the high tech futuristic qualities of this vehicle along with the normal GM selling points one would hear about in an advertisement or at the car dealership. What I especially like is the part of the video on refueling where the Chevy Equinox FC pulls into the same Irvine, California hydrogen fueling station that I’ve taken photos of on one of my trips there.
This is one of the most consumer oriented videos to date, providing both education and typical selling points that one would find in other GM products. The blend of these two elements moves hydrogen cars from a futuristic novelty to a car that one can see themselves driving everyday.
I just watched the videos from them people and they
seem to have explained hydrogen cars pretty good.
I’ve been in trucking for 30 years and I know the pollution from diesel is bad.
Somehow those HandBookLive people oughta do
some more videos on the operation of other possible hydrogen powered vehicles.
Most such videos are just commercials. The HandBookLive hydrogen car videos seem to be aimed at people who might soon buy such a car and really need a quick overview of what they might soon be buying.
Pretty good stuff.
I’m wondering how long it takes the ready to go indicator to light up from when
the key is turned?
A 150 mile driving range seems a little low. The Honda FCX Clarity use 5k
PSI hydrogen and it can go at least 50 miles further on a fill. Isn’t GM’s 4th generation fuel cell technology old now?
I’ve heard that GM has cut stack size in half and doubled the power output recently.
It’s interesting that this video has come out, the 4th generation fuel cell doesn’t
seem to use the latest tech and I get the impression it isn’t cheap enough for
GM to sell these prototypes.
I assume that GM is trying to commercial it’s fuel cell vehicles by 2015, but it
is so focused on the Volt gas/electric hybrid at the moment that it’s hard to tell.
It would be nice to have a fuel cell SUV for packing around and towing say a
trailer or a boat, but 150 miles is a bit tight.
Yes, GM needs to up the range of their vehicles so they can compete with Toyota that gets over 500 miles per refueling. At least a range of 300 miles would be acceptable.