With the threat of rising fuel costs perhaps these scooters are the way of the future.
The Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter, created in collaboration with Intelligent Energy, a UK-based fuel cell company, has become the world’s first fuel cell vehicle that is about to be approved for mass commercialization. The company also said that the scooter and its components will be produced and sold in Europe.
"Suzuki Motor is pleased to announce that the Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter has become the world’s first fuel cell vehicle to earn Whole Vehicle Type Approval in the EU,” said Osamu Suzuki, chairman and CEO of Suzuki Motor.
The Suzuki Burgman scooter has been unveiled in Europe at a London City Hall event last month. It is equipped with the latest version of Intelligent Energy’s air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell system.
“Our aim is to make eco-friendly fuel cell scooters increasingly common in Europe, in line with the establishment of hydrogen filling stations and other necessary infrastructure,” he added.
A fuel cell-powered scooter looks promising, but how about the hydrogen infrastructure, indispensable for normal operation? Well, in countries like Italy or Germany you’ll be able, also soon, to charge your EV or hydrogen vehicle from roadside points, where the energy will come from solar panels.
Israel-based Solaris Synergy and French EDF Group are planning to develop a new system of floating solar panels, called AQUASUN, which has the possibility of being installed on the surface of existing bodies of water.
The panels use silicon cells, which unlike other types, are less expensive but also prone to inefficiency caused by overheating. However,this is not a problem as the water on which they’re floating acts as a cooling system.
Users have the option to add or remove panels in order to tailor the power output to their requirements. A single modular panel is capable of generating around 200 kW of clean energy.
This kind of system will not be installed in ecologically-sensitive areas or in open seas, but rather on reservoirs already in use for agriculture and industrial purposes. The water will not become stagnant because the panels are designed to allow oxygen to permeate through. So far, the companies have released a prototype that has been presented at the 4th International Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference in Israel. The designers have great plans for the future. They’re planning to install AQUASUN for a nine-month test period on a basin at a hydro-electric facility in southeastern France by the end of September.
