Nissan's Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology Explained

As fossil fuel is getting scarce, most of the auto giants are trying to find different sources to power their vehicles and one of the major resource is electricity. Nissan too has a fully electric vehicle, the LEAF, which is the best-selling car in its segment. But, the company has also been working on a technology which is based on Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). The SOFC-powered prototype vehicle made its global debut in August during the Rio Olympics in 2016. During the inauguration of the ‘Renova Bio 2030’ program in Brazil, Nissan put forward the first concept SOFC-powered vehicle in front of the world.

The SOFC concept is powered by bioethanol electric power, i.e. the prototype, with an e-Bio Fuel Cell, is fuelled 100 percent with ethanol to charge a 24kWh battery and in return gives a range of over 600km. The powertrain features an ‘e-Bio Fuel Cell’ with a power generator, which gets its juices from an SOFC. Nissan claims that this technology will have zero emissions and the test run of the prototype will be conducted in Brazil soon.

The Japanese auto giant says that the carbon-neutral emissions are as clean as the atmosphere, i.e. the carbon dioxide emissions from the used ethanol fuel will be counterbalanced by planting sugarcane and corn (crops using which the ethanol is made). This ease of availability makes it more acceptable in today’s time where infrastructure to support hydrogen fuel stations or battery charging power-points isn’t available.

To form a zero-emission society, Nissan continues promoting the intelligence and electrification of vehicles. The brand lives up to its motto of Innovation that Excites, with Nissan's Intelligent Mobility. This will help focus on how cars are conducted, driven and integrated while providing a more enjoyable driving experience.