Riversimple’s Rasa has been designed by famed car designer Chris Reitz, who styled the new Fiat 500. This fuel cell electric car boasts a range of 300 miles on 1.5kg of hydrogen, and achieves the equivalent of 250mpg with a top speed of 60mph. Emissions are zero at tailpipe (just water vapor) and c.40gCO2/km Well-to-Wheel. Hydrogen refueling for the Rasa takes three minutes. It has an 8.5 kW hydrogen fuel cell, a 1.9MJ lithium-ion hybrid capacitor set, and a motor in each wheel with a combined 16kW continuous power and 55kW peak power. Continue reading for another video, more pictures and information.
“The ‘Rasa’ works via hydrogen passing through a proton exchange membrane in the fuel cell where it combines with oxygen to form water and electricity. the electricity then flows to small, lightweight motors in each wheel, giving the car four-wheel-drive. When the car brakes, the kinetic energy, that is normally lost in the form of heat, is captured as electricity. as the car slows, this electricity floods into a bank of super-capacitors at the front of the car,” according to Design Boom.
