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Platinum fuel cells are the answer in VW emissions snarl-up

2nd October 2015

By: Martin Creamer

Creamer Media Editor

  

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The debacle that Volkswagen has caused by misrepresenting the volume of emissions that emerge from the exhaust pipes of its vehicles may just be the catalyst that the world needs to accept platinum fuel cells, which do not emit a single speck of environmental nasties.

This year has seen several global car manufacturers move steadfastly to advance hydrogen fuel cell cars that require close to 14 g of platinum per vehicle.

Moreover, during Platinum Week in May in London, fuel cell electric vehicles were hailed as the foundation for truly sustainable platinum mining, based on zero emissions and the use of the world’s endless supply of hydrogen as a fuel source.

Liberum Capital released a research document last week declaring that diesel cars are no longer promotable as a tool for meeting European Union (EU) 2020 carbon dioxide (CO2) limits, as the tougher regulations were pushing up diesel compliance costs.

This turmoil in the automotive emissions arena leaves electric vehicles to do the compliance jobs and for fuel cell electric vehicles to be acknowledged as being far superior environmentally and otherwise to battery electric vehicles.

Hyundai’s ix35 fuel cell car has a 594 km range, takes three minutes to charge and produces no harmful emissions at all.

Battery electric vehicles using the new public charging station at Melrose Arch, in Johannesburg, require nearly two-and-a-half hours of charging time and rely on electricity from coal-fired power stations that have both CO2 and other emission issues.

Korean car manufacturer Hyundai is targeting the production of 1 000 ix35 fuel cell vehicles in the UK by the end of this year and other car companies, such as Toyota and Honda, are also moving firmly ahead with significant launch plans.

If fuel cell cars succeed in dominating the electric vehicle segment in Europe, Anglo American Platinum has pointed out that platinum demand within Europe will rise to 6.6-million ounces by 2050.

Conversely, if battery electric cars win out, demand for platinum in Europe will decline to 2.5-million ounces in the same period, which will devastate South Africa’s platinum economy and should not be allowed to happen.

South Africa’s Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, who drove in a fuel cell electric car during his recent visit to Tokyo, expressed optimism, at the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Johannesburg earlier this week, that Japan and South Africa would find ways to partner one another on the further development of the fuel cell, which is also a wonderful generator of clean electricity.

Japan has already emerged as a leading innovator in fuel cells and South Africa should move briskly to partner Japan in fostering the commercialisation of platinum-using technology.

The window of opportunity is wide open for South Africa and Japan to promote fuel cells as the rejection of platinum-using diesel vehicles, because of their nitrogen oxide emissions, spreads.

The International Council on Clean Trans- portation, an independent organisation founded to improve the environmental performance of road transportation to mitigate climate change, published a report in October 2014, which indicated a glaring gap between real world EU car exhaust emissions and measured levels.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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