ECOtality, Inc.’s wholly owned subsidiary, Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), announced this morning that it has provided a custom-designed, eTec hydrogen internal combustion engine (HICE) Silverado truck to Sierra Lobo, Inc. The truck will be powered by the No-Vent Liquid Hydrogen Storage and Delivery System™ that Sierra Lobo, Inc. is presently developing with the Department of Defense (DOD). This news is significant in that this is the first eTec HICE vehicle to be powered using liquefied hydrogen technology.
Don Karner, president and CEO of eTec, stated, “The eTec HICE Silverado continues to be one of the most advanced HICE vehicles currently in production, and our work with advanced technologies, like those being developed at Sierra Lobo, Inc., allows us to be on the cutting edge of alternative fuels and transportation technologies. By working with strong organizations like Sierra Lobo, Inc., eTec is providing advanced technology solutions that accelerate the development of clean fuels, like hydrogen, that will reduce our emissions and help alleviate our oil dependence.”
Although Roush Industries partnered with the company, eTec led the conversion of the eTec HICE Silverado. As a result of the conversion, the eTec HICE Silverado is compatible with a liquefied hydrogen fuel system that produces almost zero carbon emissions. Liquid hydrogen could provide up to 200-500% more fuel than modern compressed gas hydrogen fueling systems because of its high density. Currently, the eTec HICE Silverado is the only production HICE vehicle in existence that is participating in the Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity under the FreedomCar and Vehicle Technologies Program.
“The eTec HICE Silverado will assist Sierra Lobo, Inc. in the development and testing of our innovative liquefied hydrogen system and provides an ideal medium for us to test our technology in real-world automotive applications. Through collaboration with industry-leading firms such as eTec, Sierra Lobo, Inc. is developing safe, cutting edge, and economically competitive technologies in the areas of hydrogen and oxygen storage and utilization in the transportation and power generation industries,” stated Mark Haberbusch, director of Research and Technology, Sierra Lobo, Inc.
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