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This work presents the first prototype of the zero emission vehicles (ZEV) program in development since 1992 in the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (State University of Campinas) - UNICAMP. This prototype is a electric-type vehicle, for urban utilization, based in the solar/ hydrogen/ electricity energy supply system, tractioned by lead-acid batteries and a motor-generator group adapted to hydrogen usage. The prototype technical characteristics (structure, components, etc.) and of performance (maximum speed, autonomy, etc.) are also presented.

In all the world, the environment problems originated from the intensive petroleum compounds consumption, and the perspective of a future exhaust of this source, has lead to researches of alternative fuels for this compounds, mainly obtained from renewable energy sources. Among many proposed fuel supplement systems, the hydrogen use has deserved outstanding treatment, as in internal combustion motors or in fuel-cells (electric-type vehicles). This work shows the actual art’s state of the hydrogen utilization in automotive uses, analyzing the mainly problems and solutions related to the internal combustion motor adaptation for this application, as the pre-ignition and backfire effect, the power losses by the gaseous fuel usage, the nitrogen oxides emission (unique pollutant emitted in the hydrogen combustion), etc..