Processor Developed for Fuel-Cell Vehicles

General Motors and ExxonMobil recently announced that they have developed a highly
efficient gasoline fuel processor for fuel-cell vehicles. The companies said that the
processor is a major breakthrough that will lead to greatly reduced emissions and improved
fuel economy. GM plans a vehicle demonstration using this technology within 18 months. The
processor uses gasoline as a fuel to create a high-quality stream of hydrogen that powers a
fuel cell. This means consumers will be able to fuel these new vehicles the same way they
fuel their present vehicles. GM researchers and engineers believe that the gasoline
processor is a key to fuel-cell production this decade. GM and ExxonMobil said that the
results of a three-year collaborative research program have allowed GM and ExxonMobil
engineers to design, develop, build and run a gasoline processor that exceeds 80 percent
efficiency. As a reference, this results in nearly twice the efficiency of today’s vehicles
over a typical drive cycle. The system will integrate GM’s proprietary designs in gasoline
processing and fuel-cell stacks.