by Ed Davies
Japanese giants Nissan have produced an eco-friendly fuel cell for vans that runs purely on ethanol and produces zero-emissions
Electric vans and vehicles, in general, have since their inception suffered from perennial problems of low battery life, poor mileage and slow speeds.
However, a prototype introduced last month by Nissan, called the e-Bio fuel cell, could solve those problems and revolutionise electric vehicles.
Nissan says the battery and use of the van is sustainable as it runs on bio-ethanol, which is mainly sourced from readily available crops in the Americas, sugarcane and corn.
The van was based on the Nissan e-NV200 and uses a 24kWh battery, delivering a cruising range of around 400 miles.
Nissan intends to conduct field tests on public roads in Brazil, where the technology was developed, with a view to introducing a production version in the future.
Nissan president and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, said: “The e-Bio Fuel-Cell offers eco-friendly transportation and creates opportunities for regional energy production while supporting existing infrastructure.
“In the future, the e-Bio Fuel-Cell will become even more user-friendly. Ethanol-blended water is easier and safer to handle than most other fuels. Without the need to create new infrastructure, it has great potential to drive market growth.”
