I’m not sure who is directly responsible for the SUV craze. If I had to say I would guess it is a combination of public demand and the manufacturers. Without the public demand, manufacturers would fail, yet without manufacturers, the public demand would never be met. Regardless of who is responsible, it is time for a change. Yet, as with every drastic change, a smooth transition is necessary.

The Chevy Equinox is a working hydrogen fuel cell SUV. That means zero emissions! The first thing that popped into my mind was “opposites attract”. American SUV’s are known as the extreme gas guzzlers whose growing popularity has contributed greatly to the depletion of fossil fuels. The polar opposite of the American SUV craze would be the recent hybrid electric vehicle craze. Chevy has now taken it a step further than the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, and combined the convenience of an SUV with the zero emissions of hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technology. GM introduced the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell and “Project Driveway”, the first meaningful market test of fuel cell vehicles. They have started placing 100 fuel cell vehicles with “real drivers” for “real use” in NYC, Washington D.C., and California. The Equinox Fuel Cell is actually powered by GM's fourth generation fuel cell system. Looking under the hood and seeing nothing but a square box was shocking, to say the least. The days of a grease covered internal combustion engine could soon be over. Many consumers may wonder how much power they can get out of a fuel cell SUV, as opposed to a combustion engine. Instantaneous torque will provide adequate acceleration from the electric motor traction system, so consumers will not have to worry about lack of sufficient power. Chevy states that the Equinox Fuel Cell will be able to go approximately 200 miles per fill, and unlike previous fuel cell vehicles, will be able to start and operate in sub freezing temperatures.

Last update : 03-24-2008 21:16

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