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This morning, I attended GM Fuel Cell Workshop held at a hotel in Tokyo. Mr. Rudolf A. Schreis, President and CEO of Asia Pacific was absent due to their internal security regulations. But more than ten technical staffs from GM and its related technical institutions in North America and Europe joined the meeting. The audiences were mostly domestic and foreign press people.
The performance and durability tests of their latest fuel cell vehicle were conducted at GM's test circuit in Arizona. They succeeded in wining 15 international records. For example, they finished the 100 km with average speed of 101.4 km/h, 1000 km with average of 87.8 km/h.
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One of the hardest difficulties for developing these vehicles was to get more powerful, more efficient, lighter and smaller fuel cell stacks. They developed so fast since 1997 that the latest one weighs 100 kg, with a continious power output of 102 kw and a peak power output 129 kw (173 hp). Thus it has become easier for installing it on vehicle. At the same time, the performance of fuel cell vehicles has been improved remarkably.
The hydrogen tank has become smaller and lighter too. At present, cylinder type is used but it will soon become an ellipse cylinder type. This will save space of vehicles.
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The development of components was contributing to improve the performance of fuel cell vehicles day by day.
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They ask the governments to build the infrastructures ( production and distribution of hydrogen) parallel to the development of vehicles.
It is remarkable that GM has been utilizing well the technical development powers of the outside companies.
I left the meeting just on twelve noon for the other meetings. According to later news reports, GM and Suzuki announced to press that they agreed to co-develop the fuel cell vehicles just after the workshop finished..