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More on Cadillac CTS-V

January 23, 2012 | Author: admin

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Cadillac introduced the CTS-V with a lovely drive through the rolling New York countryside, during which both transmissions proved easy to drive smoothly and gently – no grabby clutch or jumpy throttle program. A new electric parking brake with auto-release serves a hill-holding function in manual cars, but mostly it allows the dead pedal to be relocated to approximately the plane of the accelerator, so the driver can brace into the seat better. Our test-drive cars all had the sumptuously bolstered optional Recaro seats, suede-look steering-wheel rim and shift levers, metal pedals, and black-stained Sapele wood trim, all of which brings these cars up to the level of interior sophistication of their Euro counterparts. The stock CTS seats with Alcantara inserts offer way less lateral support and comfort, and the faux carbon-fiber trim looks cheesy, so pop for the extras (you’ll still save $20K relative to the Europeans).

Our destination was Monticello Motor Club, a brand-new car-guy country club 90 miles from Manhattan with 4.1 miles of open, twisty, hilly racetrack to terrorize, including a long, high-speed straight with a kink in it. Cadillac’s latest felt right at home, its lift-reducing chin-splitter and deck spoiler keeping things comfy on the big straight, and its ZRI kinship shining through in the corners. Both cars inspire confidence with high levels of grip from their Michelin tires (non-runflat PS2s here) and huge Brembo brakes. StabiliTrak’s competition mode allows just enough slip-angle for the CTS-V to show off its neutral handling demeanor in beautiful four-wheel drifts through the higher-speed constant-radius corners. And here again, the linear throttle response enables clean corner exits with no sudden tire-spinning power surges. Further evidence this is a grown-up, sophisticated, fully sorted sedan. At the risk of sounding old or lazy, the automatic is the smarter choice, owing to its better gearing, faster shifts, and equal or higher performance. Need further convincing? GM’s hot-shoe racer John Heinricy drove an automatic CTS-V to a blistering 7-minute/59.32-second time on the fabled Nurburgring Nordschleife without using the paddles, letting the Performance Algorithm Shift program do the shifting. That is, by the way, believed to be a record for a sedan.

Track records and dragstrip time-slips may not sell Cadillacs to Europhiles, but it may get them in the door. And if dealers are wise enough not to stock any test-drive units with the chintzy dash trim and base seats, this sophisticated, well-rounded, fully developed super-sedan might just win converts – and in so doing, earn the CTS-V its halo.

 

2009 CADILLAC CTS-V

VEHICLE LAYOUT                      Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door, sedan

ENGINE                                         6.2L/556-hp*/551-lb-ft* supercharged OHV 16-valve V-8

TRANSMISSIONS                       6-speed manual; 6-speed automatic

CURB WEIGHT                           4281 lb (auto); 4292 (man)

WEIGHT DIST, F/R                   54/46% (aut0); 53/47 (man)

WHEELBASE                               113.4 in

LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT    191.6 x 72.5 x 58.0 in

0-60                                                4.1 sec (auto)/4.1 sec (man)

QUARTER MILE                          12.3 sec @ 117.5 mph (auto), 12.4 sec @ 117.1 mph (man)

BRAKING, 60-0 MPH                 109 ft (auto)/105 ft (man)

LATERAL ACCELERATION      0.92 g (avg) (auto), 0.92 g (avg) (man)

EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON    13-14/19 mpg (est)

CO2 EMISSIONS                           1.22-1.28 lb/mile (est)

ON SALE IN U.S.                           November 2008

*SAE certified

 

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First Test Cadillac CTS-V

January 19, 2012 | Author: admin

Both require deft footwork to launch – rev to between 1000 and 2000 rpm, release the brake or clutch, and feather the throttle down judiciously or risk smoking through all of first gear. (At least, the rear tires spin in unison and with no axle-hop, thanks to a cast-iron diff with robust limited-slip gearing and asymmetric halfshaft diameters). From second gear up, leave your right foot planted in either, letting the automatic shift itself and utilizing the no-lift shift programming in the manual. Both cars cross the 60-mph mark in 4.1 seconds, but taller gearing in the manual’s first three gears blunts its quarter mile slightly (12.4 seconds at 117.1 mph versus the automatic’s 12.3 at 117.5). Either transmission performs comfortably ahead of the M5 (4.5, 12.5 at 114.9) and E63 AMG (4.3, 12.7 at 113.0), but if you demand autobahn supremacy, opt for the manual. It tops out at a reported 193 mph in sixth, while the automatic is limited to 175 to protect the transmission.

“Big deal,” the string-back glove set is muttering about now.” Chrysler could jam a Viper V-10 in a 300C SRT/10 and blow them all away, but we wouldn’t be caught dead in it either.” To convince these hardened cynics, the rest of the CTS-V has received just as much attention. In terms of chassis, this V model was baked in from the beginning of the CTS redesign, which helped drive the sure-footed wide-track stance. Second-generation Magnetic Ride Control shocks like those on the ZRI work magic in expanding the envelope of comfortable ride and sharp handling. Tour and Sport settings offer completely different control logic. Each has the bandwidth to go full-firm or full-soft in an instant, but Sport elevates the baseline damping control and lowers the thresholds of steering, braking, or road inputs that trigger a damping-rate change. Tour provides supple ride comfort with reasonable body-motion control on twisty, imperfect public roads, but when running hard on a smooth track or up a mountain pass, Sport curtails roll and pitch far more aggressively by instantaneously transitioning to high jounce-damping rates at the wheels on the outside of a turn and high rebound damping on the inside, or full jounce front/rebound rear during braking.

Speaking of brakes, the CTS-V uses Brembos all around, with six-piston front, four-piston rear calipers chomping on huge 15.0-inch front rotors featuring co-cast technology (iron braking surfaces and cooling vents cast around an aluminum hub and spokes). The 14.7-inch rears are all iron. An optional track package swaps traditional bolted iron/aluminum rotors for the co-cast ones, eliminates the surface grooves (they compromise pad life in heavy track usage), and paints the calipers red. Our track-pack test cars posted impressive stopping distances of 304-309 feet from 100 mph, and 105-109 feet from 60, besting the Germans once again (M5:326/114, E63:329/113), and these numbers should hold for the base CTS-V as well.

As on Corvettes, the StabiliTrak stability control system offers three settings: traction off, competition mode (allowing more slip before system intervention), and stability off. They’re independent of the suspension settings so that, for example, touring suspension and the competition mode can be combined for hard running over bumpier surfaces. Selecting Competition mode heavies up the steering effort slightly, but normal mode feels fine, so adding artificial effort seems a bit gimmicky.

 

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Cadillac CTS-V 2010 Review

January 15, 2012 | Author: admin

Cadillac wants its “Standard of the World” slogan back. Toward that end, the brand is mounting a sort of “wreath-and-quest” global crusade to convert the heathen masses currently worshiping roundels, three-pointed stars, linked-rings, and the like. Its arsenal of enticements includes a small car (the Swedish-built BLS), diesel engines (including a new state-of-the-art 2.7-liter V-6), and even a sleek and slinky CTS Sport Wagon due next year. But it needs a big-dog halo car-something to run with the Ms. AMGs, and RSs, capable of laying down big bragging-rights numbers at the Nurburgringer. This CTS-V aims to be that car.

The easy part of the project was the engine. The supercharged small-block V-8 was co-developed and cost-shared with Chevrolet, which uses it to power its halo-wearing  Corvette ZR1 Nurburgringer. The roomy engine compartment of a sedan allowed plenty of pricey pieces to come off the exotic ZR1 engine, like the dry-sump oiling system and the saddle-mount twin intercooler bricks that allowed the LS9 to limbo in under the Vette’s low hoodline. The LSA’s normal oil pan and single intercooler on top of the blower fit fine in the CTS, requiring just a modest power bulge in the aluminum hood to provide pedestrian impact clearance – and perhaps a bit of visual intimidation. The same quiet, efficient, four-lobe blower design is used, though it’s a bit smaller and makes less boost (8.7 psi versus 10.5). Using LS2-like valvetrain restricts the Caddy’s redline to 6200 rpm, while the ZRI’s low-mass bits tolerate 6600 revs. Befitting the sedan’s statelier nature, the Corvette’s loud-mode exhaust is ditched in favor of a quieter system with four catalysts and a modest resonator (it’s quiet, but for a resonant drone at 1500 rpm). The sound is dominated by pleasing V-8 induction noise embellished with a bit of supercharger whine. (You almost never hear the ZRI’s supercharger over its bellowing exhaust.)

These various tweaks result in SAE-certified output figures of 556 horsepower at 6100 rpm and 551 pound-feet at 3800 rpm; that’s down 82 horses and 53 pound-feet from the ZRI’s power peak, but more important, it trumps rivals like the M5 (by 56 horses and 168 pound-feet) and the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (by 49/86). In Europe, the Audi RS6 has Cadillac outhorsed with 571, but that naturally aspirated spinner falls short by 72 pound-feet of twist, and AWD bloats its weight-t0-power ratio to equal that of the CTS-V – 7.7 pounds/horsepower. And only Cadillac offers a no-cost choice of six-speed transmissions.

 

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Toyota 4Runner SR5 V-8 4WD

January 11, 2012 | Author: admin

Toyota’s 4Runner offers more choice and versatility than ever, all the while protecting its off-road credentials.

According to Toyota senior vice-president Don Esmond, mid-size SUVs now account for 10 percent of all vehicles sold in the U.S. and are the biggest sellers in the SUV category.

So it doesn’t seem unreasonable for Toyota to have two players in that category: the Highlander, which is a car-based monocoque vehicle, and the 4Runner, which is a body-on-frame vehicle with truck DNA and better off-road potential.

The 4Runner got here first, having played the market for 18 years in three successive generations. Make that four. The new 4Runner is here as a 2003 model, and it’s bigger, heavier, and more powerful than ever before.

Seeking improvements in comfort, on and off-road handling, safety, performance, and economy. Toyota has completely reinvented the 4Runner. Based on the Prado rather then the Tacoma, the new vehicle has a wheelbase that is 4.5 inches longer (109.8 inches), as well as an equal increase in overall length (now 187.8 inches).

Accordingly, the stretched 4Runner offers two more inches of front legroom. There’s 0.4 inch more headroom, and the outboard passengers sit two inches farther apart in an interior that’s now four inches wider.

Under the more spacious bodywork is a new frame with full-length box-section rails and nine fully welded crossmembers. The front crossmember is mounted low enough to engage the bumpers and crash systems of smaller vehicles, and “soft” front-end sheetmetal and a plastic grille are intended to reduce injury to pedestrians.

Two engines are offered in two- and four-wheel-drive configurations. A new 4.0-liter V-6 is now the base motivation for the 4Runner, developing 245 horsepower at 5200 rpm and a hefty 283 pound-feet of torque at 3400 rpm. As well as being Toyota’s first aluminum truck engine, the 1GR-FE (as it’s known internally) is the product of 3-D engine-modelling techniques and features chain-driven camshafts, variable valve timing with intelligence, and variable intake geometry.

The upscale engine is a 4.7-liter V-8 related to the i-Force mill found in the Sequoia, Tundra, and Land Cruiser. In this guise it produces 235 horsepower at 4800 rpm and 320 pound-feet of torque at 3400 rpm. As you can see from the numbers, the V-6 has more horsepower, but the V-8 has more torque, and it’s delivered across a very broad rev range.

 

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Mazda Tribute Rants and Raves

September 21, 2011 | Author: admin

All things considered, a nice vehicle at an attractive price – Burke

One thing you can say is that the rear seat has great room – Winter

It’s noisier on the highway than I would have expected-mostly tire and engine noise. And the gas tank is too small for serious touring. – Robinson

I love the heavy-duty floor mats. Dirt stays in the grooves, and a quick shake-out of the mats is all you need to clean up. – Weber

I noticed some interesting cost-cutting measures. The cruise control buttons are not lighted, only one of the power-window switches on the driver’s door lights up, and the steering wheel doesn’t telescope. – Vander Werp

A 27-inch TV (in the box) fit into the cargo area with the back seat up! Also, the Tribute hauled four guys and all their gear for a weekend up north. Pretty cool for such a small ute. – Cosgrove

For such a small vehicle, the fuel economy seems a bit weak. – Bedard

Altogether, it’s a worthwhile package. I’d still opt for the Ford’s softer springs. But this is a vehicle I’d gladly own and feel I’d gotten my money’s worth. – Phillips

 

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More About Mazda Tribute

September 17, 2011 | Author: admin

By the recalls, the reliability of our Tribute was top-notch. And, we should note, there were no recalls for the 2002 Tributes. We experienced no major, or minor, mechanical problems, although we did have two minor, and mysterious, failings.

Our Tribute required five scheduled service visits. The 7500-, 22,500-, and 37,500-mile services were oil and filter changes. The 15,000-mile service also included a tire rotation. The 30,000-mile service added replacement of the fuel and air filters and various inspections for $128. The other four services averaged $58 each.

The cost of service for 40,000 miles was $360. Compare that with our last long-term small ute, the previous-generation Toyota RAV4, which totaled $481 in regular maintenance plus $64 in repairs.

One of our mysterious quality concerns was the passenger-side window, which popped out of its track at 75 mph with 2200 miles on the odometer, badly startling the driver. It happened again at about 12,000 miles but then created no further problem. At 5672 miles, a series of punctures appeared on the rear seat leather (which incidentally feels a bit more like rubber than animal hide). A thorough investigation indicated that the damage was caused either by canine teeth or some sort of machinery with a sprocket. Predictably, no one fessed up. At about 15,000 miles a creaking noise coming from the tailgate was first noted. At just shy of 20,500 miles, the noise had evolved into a “chorus of squeaks and rattles.” It got no better with time.

On the upside, at about 12,000 miles the Tribute’s on-road compartment converted one professed “anti-SUV driver,” who declared in earnest, “I would buy this car!”

It’s no coincidence that she called it a “car.” It, along with most of the successful entries in the small-SUV class, is carlike in its unibody construction and weight and handling. Most drivers were impressed with the Tribute’s resistance to body roll in corners – at least relative to competitors and even larger trucks. That was one of the reasons we chose to order the Mazda and not the Ford version, which is more softly suspended.

But what impressed most was the power provided by the 3.0-liter V-6. When new, the Tribute scooted to 60 mph from a stop in 8.4 seconds – near the top of the class. By the end of its stay with us, it posted an 8.7-second run to 60 mph. Road trippers appreciated the generous cargo hold. With a low lift-over height and maximum 64 cubic feet of cargo room, the Tribute has about as mush usable space for stuff as do its major competitors, the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4.

As sprightly as the Tribute was, it seemed unusually loud inside the cabin.

 

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2001 Mazda Tribute ES V-6 4WD

September 14, 2011 | Author: admin

Objective measurements revealed that at a 70-mph cruise and at full-throttle the Tribute’s decibel readings are average for the small-SUV class, so maybe it’s the character of the sounds that troubled us. The noises are of the high-pitch, vibratory variety that the mind interprets as frailty, cheapness, strain, or all of the above.

Other quibbles? The front seats don’t have adjustable headrests. The molded-in lump of a headrest hits tall drivers between the shoulder blades. Mazda corrected this problem for 2002 with new seats with movable headrests.

With a relatively small 16.4-gallon gas tank and a C/D-observed average of 21 mpg, the Tribute’s range on a fill-up is a decent 344 miles. But an alarmist fuel gauge gave us a practical range of only about 250 to 270 miles. The gauge would read empty, so we’d pull into a station, only to be able to add  12 or 13 gallons. We rarely chanced even a 14-gallon fill-up.

The ride quality was a little stiff, even harsh, or so thought a few staffers. Most found it perfectly acceptable. If you’re particularly sensitive to ride quality, you may want to consider the Escape.

The Tribute tied for first place with the Escape in an 11-vehicle small-ute comparison test in March 2001 (“White Snow and the 11 Dwarfs”). The Tribute was a near-second to the Escape in the small-sport-utility category in our inaugural 5Best Trucks competition (July 2001). We encountered nothing in our 15 months with the Tribute that would dissuade us from those opinions.

Of course, the Honda CR-V took the year’s 5Best award in the small-SUV class (July 2002). Ah, but would it be able to withstand the light push of an overrevved technical director?

2001 Mazda Tribute ES V-6 4WD

Vehicle type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

Price as tested: $25,219 (base price: $23,970)

Engine type: DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, Ford EEC-V engine-control system with port fuel injection

Displacement…………………………………………………………….181 cu in. 2967 cc

Power (SAE net)…………………………………………………………200 bhp @ 6000 rpm

Torque (SAE net)………………………………………………………..200 lb-ft @4750 rpm

Transmission………………………………………………………………4-speed automatic with lockup torque converter

Wheelbase………………………………………………………………….103.1 in

Length………………………………………………………………………..173.0 in

Curb weight…………………………………………………………………3520 lb.

Performance                                  new                                40,000

Zero to 60 mph…………………………..8.4 sec                           8.7 sec

Zero to 90 mph…………………………..19.6 sec                         20.7 sec

Street start, 5-60 mph…………………8.9 sec                            8.8 sec

Standing 1/4-mile……………………….16.7 sec                         16.8 sec

@ 85 mph                    @ 84 mph

Braking, 70-0 mph……………………….211 ft                             203 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad…..0.71 g                             0.75 g

Top speed (governor limited)…………106 mph                      106 mph

EPA fuel economy, city driving……………………………………..18 mpg

C/D-observed fuel economy………………………………………….21 mpg

Unscheduled oil additions……………………………………………..1 qt

Service and repair stops:

Scheduled…………………………………………………………………….1

Unscheduled………………………………………………………………..0

Operating costs (for 40,000 miles):

Service…………………………………………………………………………$360

Normal wear…………………………………………………………………$0

Repair…………………………………………………………………………..$0

Gasoline (@ $1.39 per gallon)………………………………………….$2668

Life expectancies (extrapolated from 40,000-mile test):

Tires……………………………………………………………………………..57,000 miles

Front brake pads……………………………………………………………46,000 miles

Rear brake shoes……………………………………………………………45,000 miles

 

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Mazda Tribute ES V-6 4WD

September 10, 2011 | Author: admin

This economical ute is exactly what we were promised. Nothing more. Nothing less.

At some point between the arrival of our long-term Mazda Tribute on April 10, 2001, and the passage of 13 days, our technical director dented the shiny green tailgate with what he described as “a light push with the flat of my hand.”

This led him to wonder in our logbook of comments on long-term cars just what exactly is the gauge of the steel this small Mazda sport-ute is constructed of, while leading the rest of us on staff to wonder what specifically he meant by “a light push.”

That we mention this incident at all indicates that, light pushing aside, all went well with our long-term Mazda – a near clone of the Ford Escape. If things hadn’t gone so well, we’d have had some terribly damning thing to write about in the lead of this story. It might have started: “If you simply must own a vehicle, the Mazda Tribute is one.” Alternatively, we might have started thusly, “Zoom-zoom? Hell, yes-yes!”

But we didn’t. See, the thing is, after that first two weeks with us, the Tribute racked up miles while drawing little attention to itself. Slowly, the logbook filled with qualified praise, small quibbles, and other unusually sober commentary. A small green sport-ute just doesn’t inspire the logbook poets. As a muse, it stinks.

As a mule, though, it works brilliantly. Staffers might not have quivered with anticipation at the sight of the Tribute, but when it came time for the long-haul trip, with gear, the Tribute was a top choice. We drove it through 25 states and a few Canadian provinces, racking up 40,000 miles in 15 months.

Our Trib arrived in conservative but handsome Jewel Green Metallic, fully pimped out. We’d driven the 130-hp four-cylinder model and decided to pass on that underpowered piece, even though that meant we had to have an automatic transmission. We also decided to get the all-wheel-drive system, because (1) it’s a sport-ute; (2) we live and work in the great frozen north; and (3) without the rear differential in place, there’s a big hole where a rear differential should be and that just looks really wimpy. A full-boat ES model like ours includes cruise control with steering-wheel-mounted controls, 16-inch alloy wheels, a CD player, and leather-trimmed upholstery – all for $23,970. (Mazda raised the base price of the ES V-6 all-wheel-drive model by $485 for 2002.) We optioned our ES with all-weather floor mats (heavy rubber jobs that kept our carpet clean) for $70, a rear-bumper step plate for $89, and the Luxury package for $1090 that has an upgraded stereo and a power sunroof. The grand total of $25,219 was about as expensive as a 2001 Tribute could get.

Of the whooping six recalls that the 2001 Tribute garnered early in its first year of production, none concerned our car, despite the negative publicity generated.

 

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2011 Kia Forte5 EX

September 7, 2011 | Author: admin

The only thing I like more that little cars like the Kia Forte are little wagons, and Kia steps up again with the 2011 Kia Forte5 EX. As I said some two years back about Forte – perhaps its biggest accomplishment is in joining the likes of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla on the front lines of the compact sedan segment. That is now has something the others don’t have -a hatchback/wagon variant, as well as a coupe – means it may if fact supplant its competitors in this market. The new Civic is making a big deal about having a car for everybody, so we could say Forte has a car for everyone – plus another one.

The Forte 5 rides and handles like a little car is supposed to – firmly. Road imperfections are transmitted into the cabin pretty much unmuted, and it goes around corners with far more control than the regular driver is likely to exploit, as any small short wheelbase car does. A bit more directness and feel to the steering would give it more continental manners, but this is more of a road cruiser than a race car. (The Forte5 leaves that to the Koup)

The seats upfront are wide and well bolstered for everyday use (again not the rib-hugging  seats of the Koup),making them supportive from knee to shoulder. The rear bench is flat with some lateral support for outboard passengers, but the wide centre section makes fitting in a small passenger quite easy.

The floor is not quite as flat as in the civic, buts its pretty close the center occupants won’t likely get uncomfortable legs. Scouped-out  front seatbacks make knee room quite comfortable all around. The cut off the rear doors may prove harmful to taller passengers, but the opening itself provides pretty good entry and exit into the rear of a compact.

The seatback goes down in 60/40 split, but doesn’t go flat until you flip up the seat bottom and remove right away, but this is a good compromise

At 438 litres (15.5 cubic feet), the space behind the rear seat of the Forte5 is slightly larger than the Forte sedan’s trunk, naturally taking into account the added height to the wagon’s roof. Of interest, though, is that the entry level LX doesn’t have the cargo floor tray so its gets an extra four cubic feet on the mid-level EX and top level SX. Putting down the seats increase cargo volume substancially but Kia  doesn’t seem to want to tell us by how much.

Power comes from either a 150-hp 2.0-litre four cylinder (LX and EX) or a 173-hp 2.4L “four” in the SX, both controlled by a six- speed manual transmission as standard. Our next EX has the optional six speed Steptronic automatic (optional on all times) that adds $1,200 to the price and not much to the driving experience.

Its an automatic that’s best left to do the shifting for itself, since it returns better fuel economy that way. Shift points are smooth and well spaced out for progressive acceleration, and its nice to have that manual downshift when you want to get around somebody in a hurry.

You can get into a Forte5 for as little as $16,695 and add about $10,000 to make a fully-loaded SX. Our EX automatic comes in just above $20,500 with a metallic blue paint job; you can also add a sunroof for another $900 but mono will change the over-all driving characteristics cabin comfort of the entry level car.

 

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Dynetek Industries

September 3, 2011 | Author: admin

Hydrogen is often touted as the fuel of the future for automobiles, but that future has it roots a long way in the past. The first hydrogen gas-powered vehicle dates back to 1807 when Francois Isaac de Rivaz of Switzerland designed the first internal combustion engine that run inside the first automobile. It was powered by oxygen and hydrogen gas with the compressed hydrogen stored in a balloon.

Today, just about every major manufacturer has at least one hydrogen fuel cell car in its lineup. Some also have vehicles with a hydrogen internal combustion engine.

In the middle of all this is Dynetek Industries, one of the world’s major suppliers of hydrogen fuel storage tanks. Dynetek, with a subsidiary in Germany, has agreements with a number of companies, including Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Ballard Systems, among others.

Over the past few years, tank capacities have increased to 10,000 psi without increasing the space taken up in the vehicle, thanks largely to the use of aluminum and carbon fibre.

Looking back, it appears that 2005 was the big year for hydrogen car announcements, but the automakers are playing their hydrogen cards a little closer to the vest lately. There have not been many announcements, but the work goes on.

Dynetek executive chairman Doug Pigot says he thinks one of the reasons for the manufacturers’ reluctance to blow their own horns is that hydrogen power has been such a long time coming.

“It’s been 10 years out for the last 40 years,” he says. “There’s always some problem arising.” That’s not to say progress hasn’t been impressive. I first drove a hydrogen car when Ford brought a couple cars to Dynetek in Calgary in 2002. They were test-bed vehicles not set up with public sales in mind and their fit and finish were pretty rough, although they run impressively.

Earlier this year, I drove a Honda FCX Clarity, a vehicle that could go on the market tomorrow if there were any infrastructure aavailable. (Honda does have a number of vehicles on lease in the Torrance, Calif. area where hydrogen is available.)

The Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell is part of the GM Project Driveway Program which puts public “test drivers” in the Equinox for a couple of months.

Daimler also has a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell cars on the road in Europe. Hyundai last year committed to a $4 billion alternative technologies program and this year introduced the Hyundai Blue 2 fuel cell vehicle on the market beginning in 2012.

On May 10, Toyota took part in the opening of the first public hydrogen fueling station in the U.S. directly fed from an active industrial hydrogen pipeline. The station is a joint effort between Toyota, Air Products, Shell, South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Department of Energy.

It will provide H2 for Toyota fuel cell hybrid demonstration vehicles and other manufacturers’ fuel cell vehicles in the L.A. area.

“An extensive re-fuelling infrastructure is a critical step in the successful market launch of fuel cell vehicles.” says Chris Hostetter, Toyota group VP of product and strategic planning. “We plan to bring a fuel cell vehicle to market in 2015 or sooner and the infrastructure must be in place to support customer needs.”

Pigot, who came to Dynetek two years ago, says he is “amazed at the efforts and finances the OEMs are expending on hydrogen fuel cell research. They’re being quiet, I think, because they’ve been burned by the press so often in the past (when that 10-year time frame passed without marketable H2 vehicles). They don’t want to set too high a level of expectation.

 

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