Ener1, one of the leading lithium ion battery companies, announced plans to develop fuel cell stacks for use in electric vehicles as range extenders through a subsidiary company called EnerFuel.
Currently, the fuel cell stack has been tested in concept form by automakers including Ford and General Motors. Ener1 is working hard on the project and has stated that they have made great progress on their high temperature fuel cells.
The fuel cells are designed to be incorporated into electric vehicles as range extender units. According to the company, the fuel cell stack has been installed in a vehicle and has been under testing since December of 2008.
The system consists of a stack, electronics, and a hydrogen storage tank. It adds an additional 175 pounds onto an existing platform and returns 20kWh to the vehicle's existing battery system.
The fuel cell system delivers consistent power output on increasing the efficiency of a standard electric vehicle. Ener1 is working on systems with output of 3-15kW. The power is enough to maintain battery charge and therefore extend the range of EVs.
Source: Ener1
