BEIJING, Sept. 6 -- A concept bike driven by an
environmentally clean hydrogen fuel cell was unveiled at an international fair
in Shanghai yesterday, with the local producer promising to extend its patented
technologies to more pollution-free products.
Shanghai Pearl Hydrogen Power Source Technology Co
showed its fuel-cell bike at the 9th China International Exhibition on Gas
Technology, Equipment and Applications which kicked off yesterday at
Shanghaimart.
The company officials said the model had just been
completed late last month and they had already received some inquiries and trial
orders from interested buyers overseas.
"Most of the buyers at present are individuals keen
on clean energy applications," said Tian Binglun, the company's general manager.
"The innovative bike also attracted the attention of
many visitors to the fair today," Tian said.
A battery tank and a pair of hydrogen gas bottles
make up the energy system for the bike, making it different in appearance from
other electric bikes widely used in Shanghai.
"As is widely known, hydrogen has become a major
source of clean energy, together with wind and solar power. With hydrogen gas,
the battery produces power to drive the bike without producing harmful fumes but
only a bit of water," Tian explained.
The hydrogen bike also has some other advantages over
normal electric bikes.
It only takes about 30 minutes to refill the gas
bottles. However, it takes at least three hours to recharge the lead battery in
common electric bikes, he said.
The energy system, including the battery tank and gas
bottles, is also only about half the weight of the battery on normal electric
bikes.
"We could also make the battery system lighter by
using different materials to make the tank."
The bike costs about 20,000 yuan (2,632 U.S.
dollars), but that could be reduced to about 4,000 yuan after mass production,
making the price more comparable with electric bikes.
With two full gas bottles, the bike could be expected
to complete a trip of 100 kilometers at a speed of 25 kilometers an hour.
The producer said the company expects interested
partners to use its core patented technologies on more vehicles, such as
motorbikes and golf carts.
But future owners of the bike have to order the gas
refills from local suppliers.
"Hydrogen gas is not supplied through a network,
unlike gasoline, but we could provide a list of designated gas suppliers in
future," said Tian.
(Source: Shanghai Daily)
