last updated 7th July 05
by 4ecotips.com

New eco-car can travel a 1000 miles per Watt

It might be a modest machine at the moment but the new hydrogen-powered Echo2o car could well be a prototype for the future motor cars. Developed by BOC in conjunction with, OSCar Automotive and Oxford University it is said to travel on less electricity than it takes to power a light bulb.

It needs an input of 25W for a 25,000 mile global trip. This is the energy equivalent of less than two gallons of petrol. The only emissions consist of water but the down side at the moment is that Echo2o only has a top speed of 30mph!

The car is made from carbon fibre and aluminium.

However, the car is to be put through its paces and try to break the world fuel efficiency record at the Shell Eco Marathon at Rockingham Raceway near Corby, Northamptonshire. It will be driven on this occasion by 13-year old go-kart expert Jack Dex of Southam College, Warwickshire.

Most Eco Marathon vehicles run on petrol or diesel, but the record 5,385km/1 (just over 15,000mpg) is held by a hydrogen-fuelled Swiss car.

BOC designed the hydrogen storage system for the Ech2o, OSCar Automotive
Designed the body, chassis and steering system, and the and Oxford University developed the electric motor.

BOC’s director of sustainable energy, John Carlin, said: “The lessons from this and other projects will show that hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles could be a practical, attractive and a viable economic alternative to bio-diesel or petrol-fuelled vehicles.”

Believe it or not, but tghe concept of hydrogen fuel cells was invented in 1839 by Sir William Grove.