The Renault-Nissan Alliance’s long-term outlook focuses on continuing work on EV prototypes powered by fuel cells. Though they offer significant gains in range they are more complex to mass-produce and mass-market. Rolling out such breakthrough technology requires production, transportation, and distribution infrastructure (there are less than 300 filling stations worldwide in 2008). A further requirement is reducing the cost price of fuel cells, particularly by using less noble metals.
 

A joint Alliance project

Derived from Grand Scenic, the ZEV H2 is a joint Alliance project. Nissan has supplied the fuel cells stack, the high-pressure hydrogen tank, and lithium-ion batteries. Renault’s engineers have repackaged Grand Scenic so that its underbody can incorporate the fuel stack, tank and batteries. They have redesigned the floor and raised the vehicle’s ground clearance by a further 60 mm. They have also managed to keep the vehicle’s initial spaciousness (five adult seats), which is a first in fuel cell prototypes.

Renault’s Vehicle Engineering have also incorporated Renault’s and Nissan’s electric and electronic systems. The fuel cell in itself is a relatively self-sufficient electronic system which was designed by Nissan to communicate with vehicle components and features like the dashboard, ABS/ESP, climate control, and airbags. All perform to the fullest of their original capacity.

Some instrumentation, however, has been adapted to the vehicle’s new drivetrain. The fuel gauge, for example, is now a hydrogen pressure indicator, while the temperature display shows the fuel’s temperature, and the rev counter displays the electric motor’s revolutions per minute.

Silent engine and smooth handling

Scenic ZEV H2 is also a vehicle that boasts unrivalled driveability. Its silent engine and lively, responsive acceleration combine with particularly smooth handling on a par with European standards. Driven by an electric motor, Scenic ZEV H2 fully embodies the driving sensation associated with EVs, the only difference being that there is an additional fuel stack on board (see 'Hydrogen and fuel cells').

Although a prototype, Scenic ZEV H2 has all the qualities of a 'real' car. The levels of travelling comfort and performance it affords make it perfectly well suited to everyday use.  And it emits nothing more harmful than water vapour! 

Scenic ZEV H2 genesis

Hydrogen and fuel cells

Made up of a nucleus and a single electron, hydrogen is the simplest and lightest of chemical elements: it is 14 times lighter than air. Its freezing point is -259.14°C and its boiling point is - 252.87°C. In a fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen are forced into contact with each through a polymer membrane, the electrolyte. They combine to form water (Scenic ZEV H2's only 'emission') to produce electric power and heat. This electric energy is the fuel that drives the vehicle’s electric motor. A fuel cell vehicle is in fact just an electric vehicle that produces its own electricity on-board and does not necessarily require any external power supply.