British automaker Morgan has partnered with QinetiQ, Cranfield and Oxford Universities, BOC and OSCar to develop a fuel cell-powered sports car. The new vehicle, known as LIFECar, will be ultra quiet and its only emissions will be water vapor.
LIFECar will be based on the Morgan Aero Eight, and is powered by a QinetiQ-made fuel cell, which converts hydrogen – and oxygen taken from the air around it – into electrical energy. Regenerative braking and surplus energy will be used to charge ultra-capacitors, which will release their energy when the car is accelerating.
“LIFECar is about catching the first big wave in the energy revolution, which is set to transform the motoring industry in the same way that the computer industry was transformed by the personal computer decades ago,” said Stephen Evans, Professor of Life Cycle Engineering, Cranfield University. Full image after the jump…
10/13, 11:04 AM
posted by:
A4
it looks pretty boring
10/13, 11:23 AM
posted by:
Chris C.
It’s a nice rendering however; you’ve got GM, DC and BMW all working together to develop and perfect hyrdogen fuel cell technology. They are still, at least, 5-6 years out on that. Something tells me a few Brits and a thinktank won’t be able to pull it off any faster. This is a lot of nice lipservice and PR however; that’s all it is.
10/13, 11:35 AM
posted by:
Piablo
I would take a system like this over a prius style system anyday.
10/13, 11:37 AM
posted by:
Asher
So are we any closer to cars flying like the Jetsons?? At this pace, maybe we’ll get there in 50 years…
10/13, 1:00 PM
posted by:
davebo
Asher I don’t know where you live, but in some article I read recently, D.C. got rated as having some of the worst drivers in the country. The last thing we need is for these jokers to get airborne. How about a more difficult license exam for those of us ready for the responsibility of hover-mobiles
As for the LIFEcar, I always encourage research and development, but I’ll stick with my current car for a while longer.
10/13, 6:32 PM
posted by:
RustedEmpire
I love how people think flying cars are possible..what happens when you stall out? given the altitude, you’re probably not that high off the ground…soon your toast, unless developers make a parachute that opens faster and so on.
on to the hydrogen car topic…if morgan produces one before gm/ford I’d be impressed
10/13, 8:05 PM
posted by:
Wickedated
What is this crap? A concept from the 50s?
10/13, 9:12 PM
posted by:
J-Ro
how do the front wheels turn… and where’s the seat for the ladytiger?
10/14, 11:18 AM
posted by:
RustedEmpire
it probably has some magical powers and scoots to the left or right