Proton Motor Power Systems Share Discussion Threads

[apsis2] 19/4/2010 16:12

A few buys going through today - maybe the trade show is going well.
GLA

[andrbea] 02/2/2010 11:02

Proton Power (PPS, 4.25p, £6.67m) Has signed a MOU with Smith Electric Vehicles, part of Tanfield, to develop a fuel-cell equipped range-extended electric vehicle. The demonstrator will be exhibited at the Hannover Fair in April 2010. We moved the group to a Hold on 09/11/09 at 6p when the group unexpectedly diluted existing shareholders, despite telling them previously it was fully funded just 2 months before. We return the shares to a SPECULATIVE BUY at a price 30% lower.

[pelleeds1980] 02/2/2010 07:25

In bed with the Tanfield team

[harrodsfree] 23/12/2009 17:06

This is definitely going the wrong direction.

[afrorich] 09/11/2009 17:16

i agree spec12

what else you looking at ..

I wull hang on to these a bit lonegr

[spec12] 09/11/2009 12:03

Afro ... Adios mate and good luck here.
Too many others moving to sit and wait about.
I'm out.

[spec12] 09/11/2009 07:43

Increase it's loan facilities ? ..sounds like a delay / need more money etc.

[spec12] 04/11/2009 15:39

The silence is deafening.

[afrorich] 31/10/2009 21:12

still holding ans waiting

[spec12] 28/10/2009 15:11

Gone a bit quiet here but not been hit as hard as others.

[afrorich] 25/10/2009 14:40

they have not replied to my previous questions so whn they do I will post.

[spec12] 22/10/2009 15:05

Afro ... do you talk to the company ? if so might be worth asking of they are still confident about the large volume order in the second half of the year.
The 2009 clock is ticking fast and we are nearly in November.

:o/

[spec12] 20/10/2009 11:13

Hoping for a bit of positive news also.

[moosh2] 19/10/2009 20:07

spec12. share price is breaking down into the trading zone (the area between 15 and 45 day SMAs). it's the usual signal for traders to buy in. could drop a bit more if we don't sees volume. all good though. top up some more if needs be!

[spec12] 19/10/2009 17:01

Hhmn. share price certainly not acting as if imminent large volume orders are on the way.
Thought these were breaking out. Oh well fingers crossed it's apause before next leg up.

[spec12] 14/10/2009 10:22

At least not much of 2009 to go...

"We expect the second half of 2009 to bring the first volume orders for our new products and solutions."

Hope our CEO is not another of those over promising AIM managers.

[spec12] 14/10/2009 10:14

Sigh...no breakout just yet then.

[harrodsfree] 14/10/2009 08:02

from 'Just-Auto'
FEATURE: Honda on fuel cell learning curve with Clarity
13 October 2009 | Source: Maurice Glover


view 4 related images

A radical move to bring the fuel cell car into mass-production is already yielding valuable fresh knowledge and expertise in specialist manufacturing techniques at Honda, writes Maurice Glover.

But the Japanese maker still has a long way to go before it is able to close the yawning cost gap that separates the transport of today and tomorrow.

No-one is more aware of that than Sachito Fujimoto, Honda's Mr Fuel Cell and the engineer behind FCX Clarity, the pacesetting model that has just embarked on a major European tour in support of the motor industry's call for a viable hydrogen supply infrastructure to be in place by 2015.

As two pristine examples of the flagship sedan set out on an intensive programme of demonstrations to politicians, fuel supply executives, journalists and other public opinion formers, Fujimoto acknowledged the present huge difference in cost between the fuel cell and petrol or diesel power.

"This presents us with a considerable challenge - but we see it as our duty to do all we can to bridge the difference and bring down the cost of the cell. We just have to do it because what we're talking about here is of great importance...it represents the next era in transportation," he said.

Despite being launched as a series production model last summer, the role of the Clarity is to steer Honda through a dramatic learning curve in manufacturing as well as providing real-world feedback from selected users in leasing programmes in the US and Japan.

Volumes are low - fewer than 30 examples have been built so far and Fujimoto, the company's research and development senior chief engineer, revealed that no more than 200 units are due to be produced over the three-year exercise.

"The numbers are low, but the fact is that the line is running for a proper mass-production vehicle and we are learning so many things every day - things that I obviously don't wish to make public.

"Of course, in time we will be involved in the production of thousands of units. I can't say when that will happen, but obviously, it is taking us a long time to assemble each car. When I compare our production rate with the volume achieved in our factory at Swindon, where a vehicle comes from the line every two minutes, it is clear we have to accelerate our processes by a factor of hundreds.

"Building a fuel cell stack is a very complex series of operations that take time. The simplest way to increase volume would be to duplicate the stack production units by a large amount, but that is neither practical nor feasible from an economic viewpoint.

"That means we must continue to work to effect cost reductions as well as further increase efficiency - our target has to be to bring the Clarity to a level where it could be offered as a viable option to conventionally-powered vehicles of similar size and specification," he said.

Fujimoto was speaking in Germany as Honda Motor Europe put two examples of its fuel cell car, the FCX Clarity, on the road to back a campaign launched by car manufacturers for support from politicians, fuel supply industry executives and public influencers for a hydrogen supply infrastructure to be in place by 2015.

Both he and company European engineering research spokesman Thomas Brachmann describe the demonstration drive programme as a vital part of the campaign.

Said Brachmann: "This is the classic 'chicken and egg' problem that always exists for a new type of powertrain. It was true for diesel in the past and is true for electricity, natural gas and hydrogen. But the good thing is that hydrogen does not differ so much from natural gas in terms of infrastructure - safety measures are something else, but a lot of the gas supply technologies can be applied.

"The supply industry usually hesitates to start something fresh when they have no sign of business, so we have to generate the business case for hydrogen. And we have - major manufacturers have signed a letter of intent to introduce 100,000 fuel cell cars to the market by 2015. In reality, this is figure is likely to be much higher, so we hope this will give the industry sufficient confidence to start building the infrastructure."

According to Brachmann, Honda is confident in fuel cell mobility, regardless of the present infrastructure, and remains unconvinced of the effectiveness of the plug-in electric cars favoured by rivals.

"This is a solution involving the use of a different type of fuel. It requires energy storage - the battery - and while power density is fine, energy density is not so good. The plug-in is not undermining our confidence because it has a restricted range.

"Our development of the fuel cell car was the result of the poor experience we witnessed with batteries between 1995 and 1999, when lots of electric cars ended up parked in the desert in California because they were not used anymore. The energy density of batteries needs to be improved," he said.

Asked how long it is likely to be before Honda is able to make the cost of its fuel cell cars more comparable to those with conventional motors, he said: "Our hope is to reach price comparability in 10 to 15 years' time.

"We expect to enter serious production from 2015 but not with the Clarity. This car has good performance, all the features people want and an acceptable range of operation. But it has a dedicated platform that is expensive because the tooling is for this car only.

"Production of the fuel cell stacks is largely automated and continual refinements mean we're always having to change the tooling and production methods, but that's how we are gaining our experience.

"We're on a massive learning curve. The fuel cell involves electro-chemistry and not mechanical engineering, but it will present us with lots of new opportunities."

[spec12] 12/10/2009 21:18

CRA..KMR..PMK..IERE..RENE..UNIQ..PMK..TEF..POG

[afrorich] 12/10/2009 16:07

ecellent

welcome aboard

if you got any more questions let me know.

what else you holding Spec12

[spec12] 12/10/2009 14:38

Look back at post 89 ... Come on afro there aren't that many posts here ;o)

[afrorich] 12/10/2009 09:27

did not know that you had invested

we are ahead of the game but we need to stay there...

[spec12] 12/10/2009 09:23

Yes, very different but competition in the alternative fuel race ?
One of these ideas will eventually take off big time. Just hope we win the race.

[afrorich] 11/10/2009 19:48

from what I understand CAP use diesel combined with GAS.

Proton use a triple hybrid system which is entirely different.