Don't be fuelish; Nissan shows its second entry in the fuel-cell fray.(Brief Article)

Nissan's latest fuel-cell vehicle is so new that its keepers won't let anyone drive it-and they make all the passengers wear a wrist strap wired to the frame to guard against any sparks of static electricity.

``Just a precaution,'' said the engineer.

Powered by compressed hydrogen, the Xterra FCV is Nissan's second fuel-cell vehicle, and the most recent beneficiary of Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn's $850 million fuel-cell pledge made in late 2000. Nissan engineers aren't sure whether the production fuel-cell vehicle due out in 2005 will use compressed hydrogen or hydrogen made from methanol routed through an onboard reformer, the system used on Nissan's first fuel-cell vehicle. Using compressed hydrogen leaves more room for passengers, gear and interior volume, and makes the whole thing feel more like a ``normal'' car or sport/utility vehicle.

This one felt as normal as any of the fuel-cell vehicles demonstrated recently in Los Angeles by the California Fuel Cell Partnership. At the demo we got to drive three prototypes, in addition to our ride in the Nissan. They all felt like ``normal'' cars. Although these high-tech fuel cells provide electricity that spins electric motors to drive the wheels, the cars all start with the turn of a key. Whereas start-up times only a couple years ago were as long as 10 minutes, the latest ones usually start in 10 seconds, and then drive and steer and feel like any average compact. Of course, they all still make the same metal-skidding-across-pavement noise that seems to be endemic to a fuel cell trying to extract electrons from hydrogen.

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