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Kurimoto Ltd., a major Japanese machinery manufacturer, achieved a breakthrough at 10 hours of continuous running time for a fuel-cell (FC) powered wheelchair it has developed. The company has been running tests for its safety and durability, aiming towards commercialization, since October 2006, by monitoring feedback from users who participated in trials.

The FC wheelchair runs two to three times longer than conventional wheelchairs powered by rechargeable batteries, that have running times of three to five hours. The new wheelchair will greatly expand the range and mobility of wheelchair users.

The demonstration tests are running smoothly with students and staff at the Osaka Vocational Training Center for the Handicapped. The company plans to make some improvements based on data from the tests and start leasing FC wheelchairs to municipalities from fiscal 2007. It will also consider making them available for rental to the public afterward.

The greatest challenge for promoting the new wheelchair is the high production costs. If the retail price of the current prototype model can be lowered from several million yen to about 500,000 yen (U.S.$4,200), similar to the price of conventional powered models, the FC wheelchair will be easily become more popular. After fiscal 2007, the company expects to start developing a more affordable model with fuel cell parts currently under development. The company says that it is confident it will be able to solve other problems such as heavy weight of hydrogen fuel cylinders and transportation of hydrogen.

http://www.kurimoto.co.jp/
- Kurimoto, Ltd. Develops Fuel Cell Wheelchair (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/776-e

Posted: 2007/01/15 09:38:59 AM
Japanese version

TAG Energy , Manufacturing industry , Technology