DaimlerChrysler Corp. (Auburn Hills, MI) introduced the Natrium minivan during the Electric Transportation Industry Conference in Sacramento, CA, December 12, 2001. The Natrium minivan runs on hydrogen supplied by a solution of sodium borohydride.
The concept is simple. The compound sodium borohydride is rich in hydrogen. The by-products of this chemical process are hydrogen and borax, the same material used in the soap product. The hydrogen can be used to power a fuel cell while borax can be recycled and turned back into sodium borohydride fuel.
