updated
03/30/00
The New Jersey Genesis Project
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The NJ Genesis project is New Jersey Department of Transportation's (NJDOT) most recent endeavor in electric vehicle technology. Beginning with the NJ Venturer, NJDOT has sought to stem the increasing levels of air pollution in the state by the promotion of emission-free electric vehicles. In an effort to increase the driving range while eliminating the need to recharge electric vehicles, NJDOT is attempting to find ways to incorporate fuel cells and other advanced technologies into electric vehicles. These efforts are part of NJDOT's goal of creating and promoting environmentally clean technologies that meet current consumer demands.
Fuel cell technology is one of the advanced technologies helping NJDOT. Using fuel cells to provide power to roadside variable message signs demonstrated the adaptability of this technology to transportation needs. The NJ Venturer utilized fuel cells to provide power to the vehicle by harnessing the power of hydrogen. Hydrogen, an abundant gas in the earth's environment, provides a fuel source whose only emission, water, is not harmful to the environment. The NJ Venturer's participation in last year s Tour de Sol fostered public interest in NJDOT's efforts to refine electric cars and created the support to launch the Genesis Project for this year's entry into the 2000 Tour de Sol.
The NJ Genesis Project will produce a car powered by sodium borohydride using technological developments by Millennium Cell of Eatontown, New Jersey with additional grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Sodium borohydride is a derivative of sodium borate (borax), a safe, non-toxic, non-flammable, solid powder that works as a concentrated carrier for hydrogen. The clear solution of borohydride in water will be stored in the Genesis vehicle's fuel tank. Millennium Cell's hydrogen generator will produce only enough hydrogen from the fuel to power the vehicle's fuel cell. The fuel is expected to produce enough energy to power the 5-passenger vehicle over a 450-mile , producing only one emission - pure water!
The NJ Genesis project takes the best of New Jersey State government, high-tech firms, and New Jersey schools, bringing them together to work towards the development of technologies for the new millennium.
October 22, 1999 NJDOT receives federal grant to build fuel cell vehicle
March 05, 1998 NJDOT awards first contract for use of fuel cell technology