2007 Ford Edge HySeries Concept Review

Specifications

It was fitting to have a media event surrounding the inaugural visit of the FordEdge HySeries Drive, the world’s first drivable plug-in fuel cell hybrid created by joint development between Ford and Ballard Power Systems, in Vancouver, Canada, where Ballard is located. The car has logged over 5,500 miles on a road tour within the U.S., from various auto shows to Washington D.C. where US President Bush even had a chance to plug and play. All the more fitting because this media event came one day before Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger attended the first Pacific Economic Summit in the same Canadian city to sign a memorandum of understanding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to further discuss talks of a Hydrogen Highway all along the West Coast from California on upwards to Vancouver by 2010. This was an invitation only forum to discuss economic opportunities, and in particular, clean technology. Ballard’s President, John Sheridan was there with this zero emissions crossover to discuss clean energy solutions for business.

So back to the Ford Edge HySeries, which stands for “Hybrid” electrical engine combined with a “Series” layout of Ballard’s hydrogen fuel cell(APU which stands for Auxiliary Power Unit) that electrochemically combines hydrogen with oxygen to create electricity and water byproduct. That electricity recharges the lithium ion battery pack that powers the main electric motor. Based on the current production Edge crossover, the HySeries model, however, does not carry a typical hybrid model of combustible engine sharing power with the electric motor. The Edge HySeries is a fully legitimate zero emissions concept vehicle that only spews out water vapor, leaving a trail of droplets wherever it goes.

In the center of the chassis running lengthwise is the cylindrical hydrogen tank that stores up to 350 bar of compressed hydrogen at 5,000 psi. Beside the tank on the passenger side of the vehicle is the 130 kW lithium-ion battery pack and on the driver side,the 35 kW Fuel Cell Auxiliary Power Unit. From there, engineers assemble the Edge with modified floor boards. Even though there’s a lot more equipment housed underneath the seats, there are no compromises in legroom or storage space in the cabin. Ford has applied its forward thinking to designing a flexible architecture to accommodate different powertrain combinations without having to redesign the entire vehicle. For example, instead of a fuel cell generator, a small gasoline, ethanol or diesel engine could be used.

The front and rear electric motors are rated at a combined output of 174 horsepower and 336 pound-feet of torque. Mated with a 10.1:1 one-speed transmission, the Edge HySeries can achieve a top speed of 85 mph. At full charge, the HySeries has a combined driving range of 225 miles, though time between hydrogen fill-ups can be stretched all the way to 400 miles. If the travel time is short, such as running errands, the main is drawn not from the hydrogen reserve, but the rechargeable batteries. The first 25 miles is powered by the 36-volt lithium ion battery electricity alone. Once drained to 40 percent capacity, the fuel cell kicks in to maintain the level battery capacity and thus acting more like a generator than a hybrid engine. The Edge HySeries achieves a combined city/highway gasoline equivalent fuel economy rating of 41 mpg and for those who drive less than 50 miles each day, the average jumps to about 80 mpg.

On the front passenger fender you’ll find the electrical port that can be plugged into either a 110 or 220 volt outlet for overnight charging. On the rear driver side quarter panel is the hydrogen fueling port that takes five minutes to fill. You won’t find either of these on a standard Edge, though their brushed metal finish looks cool.

At first Glance:

Other than some cosmetic vinyl stickers, the Edge HySeries is near identical to its gasconsuming sibling. Some have pointed out that this exterior design and color scheme is reminiscent of a NASA space shuttle, with its clean white shell dressed in matte black trim and trunk. I find it very sharp looking. Also, sitting on Land Rover Range Rover-inspired 22-inch chrome wheels doesn’t hurt its sex appeal either. Another conversation piece is the Aston Martin DB9 influenced door handles that keep with the clean sleek appearance.

Driving Experience:

I got a chance to sit behind the wheel of this one-of-a kind $2 million dollar concept vehicle with my co-pilot, Mujeeb Ijaz, Manager of Fuel Cell Vehicle Engineering from Ford Motor Company. We went around a course at Ballard’s headquarters. The first impression when cranking the key to start the car was how eerily quiet it was. Driving was also equally unique; some have described it as riding in a horizontal elevator. The car hadample torque to start, and then produced very linear acceleration without any subtle blips of gear changes, which makes this a very enjoyable city vehicle. However, due to the short distance test course, I wasn’t able to take it to higher speeds, but many have reported that when doing so the HySeries is quite sluggish. I think that those who made such a comment must have lead feet, as I found the power to be ample for day to day city driving.

On the console is a display of the generated power distribution (battery or hydrogen fuel cell), and of course the current load and resources available. One neat thing about the HySeries is that you can turn off the regenerative braking to allow for a smoother coast to braking transition without the normal jerky effect or any nose-dive feel. All in all, due to the range limitations at this point, this is a great vehicle to be used as a commuter to get to and from work or getting groceries on the weekend. As Ijaz comments about creatingdesigns that can be realistically brought to market, manufacturers must consider “ … the ability for the customer to get hydrogen on a long trip, but not necessarily for every trip. That plug-in capability gives you a way to run the vehicle without hydrogen as your only fuel source. And that means you’re giving a driver some confidence that he or she can drive the car as a commuter without needing hydrogen at every step.”

The HySeries comes along at a time when we’re approaching a fork in the road of hydrogen fuel. As technology pushes towards lower cost, more powerful and reliable zero emission powertrains will be created, and with them will also come an infrastructure to supply this growth. At this point both roads are being paved, albeit at a snail’s pace. The question is how soon will a

consumer like you or I be able to see a vehicle like the Edge HySeries on the showroom floor, purchase it at a reasonable price, and have the peace of mind that there will be ample fueling stations? This is why it is so motivating to see politicians working together to plan for a Hydrogen Highway.

If not here, then where? Well, Ballard has been working closely with China, and they need this fuel alternative more so than we do. Just last year, China experienced a 30 percent growth in the number of cars on the road, and just produced a frightening forecast of 160 million cars to be on the road by 2015; many of which will be congested in a handful of urban cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. With a substandard transportation grid combined with a primitive fuel infrastructure, there is an opportunity to “leapfrog” right into a hydrogen infrastructure. What a difference this would make to a country that would otherwise most likely become the world’s largest polluter. No doubt, Ford will be there with its new Edge HySeries, and others like it.