WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Naval Research Laboratory, recently concluded an evaluation of a prototype UUV equipped with a GM fuel cell at the heart of the vehicle powertrain, the release noted.
"Under the ONR’s [Office of Naval Research] Innovative Naval Prototype program for large displacement UUVs, energy is a core technology in the Navy’s goals for vehicles with more than 60 days endurance," the release stated on Thursday.
The project is a joint venture between General Motors, ONR and the US Naval Research Laboratory, according to the release.
Fuel cell vehicles can operate on renewable hydrogen from sources like wind and biomass stored for later use. Once converted to electricity, water vapor is the only emission, while recharging takes only minutes.
The development of cars powered by fuel cells is limited by the lack of infrastructure to produce and distribute hydrogen, especially compared with other fuel sources such as natural gas and a rapid expansion of electrical recharging stations.
