Green Report: Ford of Europe Focuses on Hydrogen Powered C-Max H2 ICE

But perhaps one of the best examples of hydrogen technology focused towards everyday use by everyday people is from Ford.

The Focus H2 ICE doesn't require a complex fuel cell to develop electrical power. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

Recent efforts have resulted in a snowball-effect of development with the recent news of third-generation Focus FCV and now the Focus C-Max H2 ICE, based on the Focus C-Max, a European-model mini-minivan.

The name H2 ICE designates two things. H2 is, of course, the atomic symbol for molecular hydrogen, while the ICE part once again stands for Internal Combustion Engine. Just like the BMW and MINI hydrogen powered cars, the H2 ICE doesn't require a complex fuel cell to develop electrical power. The fuel cell also compromises performance due to added weight and interior space because of its size.

Instead the H2 ICE was developed off of an existing gasoline-powered engine. Ford's 2.3-liter inline-four, as found in

Ford's 2.3-liter inline-four, as found in the conventional C-Max and Focus, has received a full on conversion which enables it to burn gaseous hydrogen. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

the conventional C-Max and Focus, has received a full on conversion which enables it to burn gaseous hydrogen. The result is a very tractable 110 horsepower engine, hardly off the pace of the gasoline powered version.

Do such positive results mean the FCV (Ford favors Ballard's 902 fuel cell stack) is a thing of the past when it comes to automotive applications? Not necessarily. There's still the question of efficiencies. Which powertrain, the fuel cell-electric or hydrogen ICE, uses less expensive hydrogen and is the complexity of the former worth the expense of producing it. This is just one question of many that needs to be answered.