Massive New $50 Million SolarCity-Honda Megadeal Could Open FCEV Door

With barely a pause for breath after its groundbreaking MyPower solar financing announcement earlier this week, the leading solar company SolarCity is out with another megadeal. This one involves Honda in a $50 million venture to finance solar projects for Honda and Acura customers and dealerships in the U.S.

The new SolarCity-Honda deal actually adds $50 million to an existing $65 million solar financing pot that the two companies established last year, so it’s not exactly new as in never-before new.  However, when we first covered the launch of the partnership back in 2013 we skipped over an interesting angle that just occurred to us this minute.

Yep, that would be the f-word, as in fuel cell electric vehicles.

Fuel cell for FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle (cropped) courtesy of Honda.

The New SolarCity-Honda Deal

The new $50 million SolarCity-Honda deal, announced just yesterday at the SXSW Eco conference in Texas, aims to drive the cost of on site solar power down to the affordability level by making the now-familiar power purchase agreement (PPA) platform available for a limited time to eligible Honda and Acura customers and dealers.

Under a PPA, property owners pay no money up front for their solar installation. They simply pay for the solar electricity they use on a monthly basis, which is typically less than what they would pay for grid-supplied electricity. The installer owns and maintains the hardware.

That MyPower SolarCity announcement from earlier this week added a new twist, which enables the property owner to lower their monthly payments by exercising a prepayment option.

SolarCity, Honda, And Your Solar Powered House

So, here’s where it gets interesting. For those of you new to the topic, among other high profile ventures the chairman of SolarCity is Elon Musk, who is also co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors.

Tesla has focused like a laser on manufacturing superstar-quality plug in electric vehicles based on lithium-ion battery technology, so whatever SolarCity does to push the market for low cost, distributed solar energy give an assist to the market for Tesla Motors as well as other plug in EV manufacturers.

 

In terms of the Honda partnership, both SolarCity and Tesla stand to benefit from the solar-powered, EV-friendly house that Honda is demonstrating on the campus of UC-Davis in California (Ford and KB Home have also teamed up in a similar solar-EV home venture, btw, which is already being marketed in that state.)

SolarCity, Honda, and FCEVs

Keep in mind that fuel cell electric vehicles are EVs, too, and you can see how this will get even more interesting for Honda.

Here’s the pitch about that extra $50 million in solar financing from Honda’s press release (emphasis added):

Envisioning a future in which personal mobility products will be powered in large part by renewable energy, the two companies have begun implementing co-marketing programs that specifically encourage owners of either solar powered homes or plug-in electric vehicles to adopt the complementary product.

In case you’re wondering why Honda didn’t just come right out and say plug in electric vehicles or BEVs (fancyspeak for battery electric vehicles), that’s probably because along with its BEV lineup, Honda is one of the two leading automotive fuel cell patent holders globally.

Aside from getting ready to launch its new Clarity FCEV, Honda has teamed up with the other fuel cell patent leader, GM, in a major next-generation fuel cell and hydrogen production collaboration. That could end up leveraging the massive potential of the US Army market, given GM’s fuel cell demo project with the Army in Hawaii.

This is just a wild guess but given the advances in solar-powered hydrogen production, we’re also thinking that when Honda and GM say “next-generation” what they mean is sustainably sourced hydrogen.

Shorter version: SolarCity’s strategy of a seamless hookup between the EV market and distributed solar energy will eventually benefit FCEV owners as well as BEVs.

As for where all those FCEV owners might be, aside from the Army you can start with California, which is already a marketing hotspot for SolarCity and Tesla. FCEVs are in the state’s master plan for pushing the EV market forward, and construction is already under way on a network of hydrogen fueling stations in the state.

As with BEV charging stations, hydrogen fueling stations can be installed at some existing service stations, as demonstrated by a recent study by Sandia National Laboratories.

Add distributed, solar-powered hydrogen production and fueling to that network, and the issue of FCEV fueling convenience starts to drift away.

Did we mention that Honda already has a home-scaled, solar-powered hydrogen fueling station in the works?

Well, we just did. But if it’s starting to look like the SolarCity-Honda deal could end up undercutting Tesla’s BEV market, that’s way off in the future if ever at all.

Source: Gas 2.

U.S. Army Considering Diesel-Electric Hummer Replacement - VIDEO

While some Republican lawmakers may not understand the need for weaning the military off of fossil fuels, generals and engineers get the volatile nature of this finite fuel. This has every branch of the military exploring ways to replace or conserve fuel whenever possible, and the U.S. Army is considering a “lightweight” hybrid truck to replace the Humvee in combat operations.

I put lightweight in quotations because, tipping the scales at a hefty 14,000 pounds, the Army’s Ultra Light Vehicle doesn’t sound so light. But compared to big bruisers like the MRAP, which weighs more than 58,000 pounds, the ULV is a downright featherweight. Developed by the U.S. Army Tank Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), the ULV also boasts a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain that allows the ULV to better serve and protect its passengers.

The ULV can be run on EV power alone, allowing for “stealth” missions where a loud diesel engine could give away soldiers’ positions. With a pair of electric motors driving the rear wheels and the diesel engine powering the front, the ULV also eliminates the need for a driveshaft and transmission tunnel.

This flat-bottom design allows for a better explosive-resistant crushable floor, while high-strength steels and composite materials keep the curb weight comparatively light. The on-board battery pack and diesel engine can also combine to be used as a portable, armored generator. Similar ideas have been proposed for other military hybrids, including the SAFT hybrid APC. Each ULV would cost about $250,000, though so far just 3 prototypes have been built.

While fuel economy wasn’t mentioned, the Army considers anything getting more than 6 mpg downright frugal, and the ULV might even break into the double digits. With the military spending as much as $400 a gallon to get fuel to remote outposts, and needing to send constant convoys on dangerous resupply missions using even more fuel, it becomes a snake-eating-its-tail scenario.

But efforts by the researchers to employ more alternative-energy and fuel-saving projects in combat theaters should lead to a leaner, meaner, and more self-sufficient military. Eventually, much of that technology could filter down to the consumer level, much the same way GPS devices and drones have become more commonplace.

Source: TARDEC

US Army invades Jay Leno's Garage with the Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator

Some of the fastest and most expensive cars in the world roll through Jay Leno's Garage – we're pretty sure this fits mostly in the latter category. Army General Dennis Via brought the US government's new Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator prototype troop transporter for Leno to check out and take for a spin. We're sure there were more than a few surprised residents and motorists in the LA area when Leno took the massive FED out for a late-night test drive.

The FED employs plenty of carbon fiber and aluminum as a weight-reducing measure, which helps give this four-seater a 30-percent improvement in fuel economy over current military vehicles. Yet even after such a significant increase in efficiency, the FED only gets seven miles per gallon. Under the carbon fiber hood, the FED is powered by a turbocharged and supercharged Cummins four-cylinder engine putting out 200 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. That helps produce enough power to allow the 15,000-pound FED to have a top speed of almost 75 miles per hour.

In the near term, lessons learned on the FED will be applied to current military vehicles most likely including the seat design and seatbelt harnesses aimed at reducing injuries in the case that the vehicle runs over an explosive device. Scroll down to watch Leno crawl in, on and under the FED.

News Source: Jay Leno's Garage via YouTube

Military Unveils Fleet of GM Fuel Cell Vehicles in Hawaii

PRESS RELEASE

The U.S. Army, Pacific, on Wednesday unveiled a fleet of 16 General Motors' hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, the world's first military fleet of fuel cell vehicles. Each branch of the military is evaluating the vehicles in real-world use.

"Operating these vehicles will provide the military with the necessary data and experience to determine future applications of fuel cell technology," said Charles Freese, GM executive director of Global Fuel Cell Activities.

The vehicles are being paid for by the Army Tank Automotive Research Development Engineering Center (TARDEC), Office of Naval Research and Air Force Research Laboratories (ONR) and Air Force Research Laboratories (AFRL).

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM's brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

US Army TARDEC showcased diesel series hybrid CERV in run-up to Indy 500

The US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) earlier in May showcased the diesel series hybrid-electric Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV) as part of special events ramping to the Indianapolis 500.

Jointly designed by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies and TARDEC’s National Automotive Center (NAC), the prototype CERV is equipped with a 1.4-liter diesel to drive the genset, and is designed for quick-paced mobility operations such as reconnaissance, surveillance and target designation. CERV pairs Quantum’s advanced all-wheel-drive diesel hybrid-electric powertrain with a light-weight chassis to produce a torque rating that exceeds 5,000 lb-ft (6,780 N·m).

The unit can maintain speeds of 80 mph (129 km/h) and climb 60 percent grades while reducing fuel consumption by up to 25% compared with conventional vehicles of comparable size.

Engineering TV interview with Paul Skalny, Director, National Automotive Center, TARDEC, on CERV powertrain and design.