At the beginning of November, Team Riversimple were to be found at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
Riversimple at NEC. Presentation by Richard Coltart, Programme Manager, bringing the new car to production.
The annual Advanced Engineering Show has acquired an international reputation, attracting and demonstrating the latest developments in engineering. We had Riversimple’s Alpha Mk2 rolling chassis (the entire Hydrogen car minus external body shell) on show and it certainly attracted plenty of interest.
At present the design of the body shell is being kept under wraps, but from the point of view of the engineer it is the nuts and bolts of the interior that really fascinate.
This is the culmination of fifteen years development at Riversimple. Designing around hydrogen fuel cell technology has allowed us to re-invent the car for the modern world. We have four electric motors, one in each wheel and these motors are also the brakes – recovering over 50% of kinetic energy when braking. There are super-capacitors to store this energy and the recovered energy is fed back into the system to provide 80% of the power for acceleration. The primary power source is a relatively low powered hydrogen fuel cell ( 8.5 kW) housed in a beautifully constructed framework of lightweight composites.
Our overall design gives us a groundbreaking efficiency and range, many times better than inserting fuel cells into conventional, heavy, vehicles. This also means it will be agile and fun to drive, and with a massive feel good factor, as we strive towards zero cost for the environment.