Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tractor
by Glen Hiemstra on 21/02/09 at 9:09 am | 
Autoblog Green, one of my favorite sites for tracking what is going on with green transportation alternatives, has an interesting lead article on the debut of a hydrogen fuel cell tractor, in Europe. The tractor looks great, and illustrates both the promise of, and problems with hydrogen fuel cells as a core technology for future vehicles.
The New Holland NH2 is billed as the world’s first hydrogen-powered tractor, and it’s just debuted in conceptual form in Italy. The zero-emissions tractor gets its power from a fuel cell that sends electrons to a 106-horsepower electric motor powering all four wheels. Problems include a major lack of range and an awfully high price, so New Holland isn’t expecting to put the model into production until 2013.
I have followed fuel cell tech since the 1990′s and the early days of Ballard Power Systems. I have been disappointed at the slow progression into the actual marketplace. There was a time when, based on Delphi Studies, fuel cell autos were expected to be mainstream by 2010.
The concept is still a good one, but there is a way to go before it is a consumer reality.
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scott mcmains
Dec 17th, 2009
trying to run the tractor on a 460 ford built to run hydrogen for fuel. keep the motor running at 3000 rpms and the tractor at 1800 rpms. any advice would be great. thanks
Glen Hiemstra
Feb 23rd, 2009
Polovni, good comment. Did you know that John Deere’s original idea was that his tractors would run on biodeiesel? He thought a farm could then have a closed-loop sustainable system. Use the tractor to help grow crops, use some of crop for making biodiesel, run the tractor with the farm’s own fuel. Cheap oil changed that vision, but my understanding is that was the original idea.
GENESIS TO BUILD METHANOL FUEL PROCESSOR FOR MILITARY FUEL CELL SYSTEM
Feb 23rd, 2009
[...] Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tractor Autoblog Green, one of my favorite sites for tracking what is going on with green transportation alternatives, has an interesting lead article on the debut of a hydrogen fuel cell tractor, in Europe. The tractor looks great, and illustrates both the promise of, and problems with hydrogen fuel cells as a core technology for future vehicles. The New Holland NH2 is billed as the world’s first hydrogen-powered tractor, and it’s just debuted in conceptual form in Italy. The zero-emissions tractor g [...]
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tractor
Feb 22nd, 2009
[...] Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tractor Autoblog Green, one of my favorite sites for tracking what is going on with green transportation alternatives, has an interesting lead article on the debut of a hydrogen fuel cell tractor, in Europe. The tractor looks great, and illustrates both the promise of, and problems with hydrogen fuel cells as a core technology for future vehicles. The New Holland NH2 is billed as the world’s first hydrogen-powered tractor, and it’s just debuted in conceptual form in Italy. The zero-emissions tractor g [...]
polovni traktori
Feb 21st, 2009
Amazing piece of engineering and design, well ahead of it’s time. Way to go, New Holland. Now all they need to do to make it affordable and practical is to convert it to biodiesel!