The Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell owe a debt of gratitude to General  Motors and the first hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles, the 1966 Electrovan. Based on a standard (for the day) Chevy cargo van, the Electrovan took a team of 250 GM employees two years and thousands of man-hours to complete. When it was done, it weighed over 7,000 lbs – almost 2 tons more than it weighed originally.

The project was headed by Dr. Craig Marks, who got the idea from NASA, which was using fuel cells for several applications, primarily because astronauts could drink the water the fuel cell produced while in space. Bill Bowman, one of Dr. Marks’ team, recalls;

“Electrovan’s fuel cell powerplant supplied a continuous output of about 32 kilowatts and a peak output of 160 kilowatts. It consisted of 32 thin-electrode fuel cell modules connected in series. The motor and control system on the Electrovan were mounted between and under the two front seats.”

“Located beneath the floor were the 32 fuel cell modules interconnected by some 550 feet of plastic piping. Also part of the installation were cryogenic hydrogen and oxygen tanks and an electrolyte reservoir mounted behind the middle bench seat. About 45 gallons of potassium hydroxide were required to fill the modules, the piping and the reservoir. This electrolyte alone weighed 550 pounds, bringing the van’s total weight to 7,100 pounds.”

Because the finished project was exceedingly top heavy, it was never allowed to leave GM’s proving grounds. It had other safety issues as well; leaks sometimes occurred in the hydrogen storage system, leading to what one observer called “brilliant fireworks” inside the vehicle.  Another time, a hydrogen tank exploded, blasting debris as much as a quarter mile away. We’re talking Hindenburg kind of destruction here. Fortunately, the tank was not in the van at the time and no one was killed or injured by the eruption. This is why Toyota shot bullets at its own hydrogen tank to prove its toughness.

The Electrovan had a top speed of 70 MPH but a range of 120 miles. It nearly got crushed on several occasions, but lives on today in GM’s museum after The Smithsonian refused to take it off GM’s hands. Looking back at the complexity and cost of this first-ever fuel cell vehicle, it’s amazing how far technology has come in the past 50 years.

Source: BangShift

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Tags: first fuel cell vehicle, GM Electrovan, hydrogen fuel cell

About the Author

Steve Hanley I have been a car nut since the days when articles by John R. Bond and Henry N. Manney, III graced the pages of Road Track. I know every nut, bolt and bullet connector on an MGB from 20 years of ownership. I now drive a 94 Miata for fun and the occasional HPDE track day. If it moves on wheels, I am interested in it. Please follow me on Google + and Twitter.

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