MTI Shows Off Fuel Cell GPS
Fuel cell maker MTI Micro is showing off a prototype of a GPS system with an embedded fuel cell at a fuel cell conference in Atlanta this morning. The company, which is based in Albany, New York, says its fuel cell-connected GPS system can provide 60 hours of usage, which it says equals three times as much energy as GPS that are powered by four traditional AA batteries.
MTI CEO Peng Lim told us that the GPS is designed to be used by hiking enthusiasts and the mountaineering types that want “truly” mobile power for a long period of time. For now, MTI isn’t announcing manufacturing partners for such a device, how much the device would cost, or even when it could be available. Just that yes, the company has designed such a product.
Fuel cells have a reputation for being perpetually 12 months away from hitting the market, and MTI plans to start selling its first fuel-cell devices some time next year. But this week, methanol-based fuel cell makers (like MTI) got a boost when the U.S. Department of Transportation said passengers on flights could take methanol-based fuel cells onboard planes.
GPS devices are one of the number one reasons cars get broken into. Each GPS device should come with a another one so one gets stolen you can track it with the other one.
Fuel cells can certainly give these little gadgets a much longer range, but what about when they lose the GPS signal on the far side of the mountain??
Well Danielle, that´s a problem the normal GPS devices can´t solve either.