NRCT introduces prototype fuel cell-powered car

The office of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) has launched a prototype of a fuel cell car, urging the government to support its production for commercial use. The car was designed by a group of researchers led by Air Marshall Morakot Charnsamruat , a retired military official. He is also the president of Clean Fuel Energy Enterprise Co., the inventor and producer of electric-powered vehicles used in golf courses, villages, public parks, resorts, hotels and factories. The research worth 14 million baht (US$418,409) was funded by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT). Morakot said a fuel cell car produced in other countries costs about 32 million baht (US$956,364) but his prototype car costs only two million baht (US$59,772). Morakot started working on the research in 2003 and sped up the work in the four months after receiving financial support from the NRCT. Morakot said the local supply of hydrogen was abundant as it was produced by many petrochemical plants in the Eastern Seaboard provinces as a by-product.. The NRCT executive added that if the government supports fuel car production and hydrogen filling stations, the amount of hydrogen could serve about 126,000 cars. (July 12/14, 2008)