Suzuki Showcases Burgman Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Scooter

Written by Andrew Williams
Published on November 3rd, 2009
3 Comments
Posted in Fuel Cells, Motorcycles

At the tail-end of last week’s Tokyo Motor Show Suzuki unveiled an exciting e-scooter concept, the Burgman, powered by a combination of hydrogen fuel cells and a li-ion battery.

Suzuki says that the innovative powertrain would enable the Burgman to reach distances of up to 220 miles at an average speed of 30kph (20mph) – so no wild freeway jaunts just yet then.

However, the company also reckon that performance will be comparable to a standard 125cc scooter (but I’d imagine that riding at higher speeds would most likely significantly reduce range).

The grunt, (if you can call it that at such low speeds), is provided by an air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell, developed by British company Intelligent Energy, alongside a 500Wh lithium-ion battery capable of storing energy created by the Burgman’s regenerative braking system.

The hydrogen itself is stored in a compact tank at a pressure just over 10,000psi (68.95MPa/689.5 bar).

As yet, Suzuki hasn’t announced any plans to produce the Burgman on a commercial scale. However, with recent announcements of similar machines from Japanese rivals, like the Yamaha HV-X Hybrid and the Honda EV-Cub, it seems that the sector is set to heat up over the next few years.

Image Credit – RegHardware

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3 Responses to “Suzuki Showcases Burgman Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Scooter”

  1. Steve Shurts Says:
    November 3rd, 2009 at 5:48 am

    I wonder if there is a market for a vehicle that can’t outrun the local mean dog?

  2. Tech Says:
    November 3rd, 2009 at 4:59 pm

    It would need a better top speed and range before it becomes appealing to consumers.

  3. ChuckL Says:
    November 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 pm

    Since a 50 cc scooter can top 35 MPH, I find it hard to believe that this Suzuki, which Suzuki claims to have performance comparable to a 1225 cc scooter can not outrun the average local mean dog. I suspect that the 20 MPH speed was the best speed for the economy run; this would be much like the Ford Fusion that went 1441 miles on a single tank of gas.