Scanning for Ideas: Fuel Cell Powers Motorcycle
The Crosscage, a concept motorcycle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, was one of the big crowd pleasers at last year’s Tokyo Auto Show.
Edited by Stephen J. Mraz
And it could be
coming to a bike shop near you, if bike-maker Suzuki and Intelligent Energy
(intelligent-energy.com), a British fuel-cell company, continue to pursue commercialization.
(And even if a network of hydrogen filling stations isn’t quickly
developed, Intelligent Energy is developing a hydrogen generator for home use
that could fill the gap.)
On the Crosscage, a fake gas-tank cover hides the fuel cell while the electric
motor mounts on a swing-arm/rear-wheel assembly. It stores hydrogen
in a tank located where the engine sits in a conventional motorcycle, and the
lithium-ion battery and motor controller are beneath that. The fuel cell uses
a proton-exchange-membrane design that is constructed of thin metal plates.
This makes the fuel-cell stack compact and suitable for high-volume production.
Suzuki claims the bike will perform like a 125-cc motorbike, and the only
emissions will be pure water. It should also be incredibly quiet, compared to
other motorcycles.
The bike also has single-sided front and rear suspension with the rear wheel
bolting to the motor and swing-arm assembly. This means the front and rear
wheels are only supported on one side, in this case the left side. The front fork,
for example, only has a left tine.