Monday, March 13, 2006

14 hours of fuel cell power

A start-up called UltraCell is showing a 2.2-pound fuel cell prototype at the Intel Developer Forum that can power a laptop computer for 14 hours. Production models will be available in 2007 and cost less than $500, William Hill, vice president of marketing at the 50-person Livermore, Calif.-based company, said in an interview Wednesday at the chipmaker’s twice-annual show. UltraCell’s systems are fueled by methanol, and included technology called a reformer converts it into hydrogen the fuel cell itself can use. But customers shouldn’t expect to just be able to buy a few liters of methanol and fill up their fuel cells whenever they run low. Instead, UltraCell will sell fuel cartridges for less than $4, Hill said. The cartridges can be recycled.

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