DC Says Fuel Cell is Ready for Production DaimlerChrysler AG says it has the answer to second-generation fuel cell technology: a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC).

The glimpse of the future was presented in Sindelfingen, Germany, in November, as DC engineers rolled out a prototype go-kart-like chassis powered by the DMFC that turns methanol directly into electricity without use of a reformer to convert the fuel into hydrogen. The key to the technology, engineers say, is the membrane, coated with a catalyst containing platinum.

The DMFC made its world premiere just a day after DC unveiled NECAR (New Electric Car) 5 in Berlin and pronounced it production-ready. The fuel cell in NECAR 5, built by Ballard Power Systems of Canada, boasts a 50% improvement in efficiency and is half the size and weight of earlier prototypes. It now fits under the floor of a Mercedes-Benz A-Class without compromising its 5-passenger seating.

A small fleet of passenger cars will be on the road in 2004. In Germany, they will be A-Class models, says DC Chairman Juergen Schrempp, who is investing DM2 billion ($900 million) to bring the prototype drive system to production.

Still to be determined is if North America will get a next-generation A-Class, or if a Chrysler product (not Jeep Commander) will be chosen to debut the technology, says Bernard Robertson, head of DaimlerChrysler Corp. research.

As for fuel choices: The early models will use hydrogen because it is the ideal fuel, and the vehicles will be used for fleet purposes, returning to central supply stations for fill-ups. The switch to methanol will be made in the second phase, (2006-2010) using onboard reformation. The third phase and ultimate solution is as in the go-kart: methanol to electricity in a single chemical reaction.

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