Ford Focus Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Prototype does Brighton to London
Submitted by Ford on 6 July, 2007 - 13:19
This is no ordinary Ford Focus leading the Revolve eco-rally convoy out of Brighton. The fuel-cell powered demonstrator vehicle is worth half-a-million dollars. Driving a simple electric motor, it produces no toxic emissions, can run 200 miles on a tank of hydrogen, reach 80 mph and is said to be twice as energy efficient as the majority of production line cars.
The Focus FCV is closely followed by the Ford Explorer FCV, Ford Focus Flexifuel and Ford C-Max flexifuel cars (both runnning on bioethanol). The inaugural Brighton to London Eco-Rally is the largest working demonstration of hydrogen vehicles in Europe and follows on from the royal launch at Hampton Court Palace. HRH Prince Charles sampled the technology and discussed the potential of this cutting edge zero emissions with the engineers.
The author and environmental philosopher Jeremy Rifkin believes that eventually the hydrogen economy will democratise society more than any other development in the past 200 years. His vision of energy being decentralised with every house and car becoming an effective power station is regarded as utopian by many. But the history of technology, he says, suggests that changes can come rapidly:
"I believe that we will not recognise the future. The hydrogen economy will have massive social repercussions. It will change the world."
