Fuel Cell Works Supplemental News Page

West Sacramento, Calif.-Based Group(California Fuel Cell Partnership) Makes Case for Fuel-Cell Vehicles Publication date: 16-April-2004 Source: The Sacramento Bee
As hydrogen fueling stations continue to spring up in the Golden State, the West Sacramento-based California Fuel Cell Partnership is taking the case for fuel-cell vehicles on the road. "We're trying to emphasize the educational aspect," said Partnership spokesman Joe Irvin. "I think it goes a long way toward illustrating that these vehicles are not restricted to a lab in NASA's office." The partnership - a consortium that includes representatives from the automotive and energy industries, technology developers and government agencies - is holding an "Earth Week Open House" from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at its headquarters, 3300 Industrial Blvd. The public will have the opportunity to ride in hydrogen-fueled fuel cell vehicles and to learn more about them at various presentations. And at summer's end, the Partnership will roll fuel-cell vehicles in what is perhaps the highest concentration of internal combustion engines in the United States. From Sept. 17-19, it will participate in the "Cruisin' Southern Cal: 2004 Fuel Cell Vehicle Road Rally." The 200-mile caravan of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles will begin in Los Angeles and wind south to San Diego. Along the route, the Partnership will showcase cars for an audience ranging from elected officials to everyday motorists. "One of the advantages of events like this is that we can demonstrate the vehicles and explain them to media, to legislators, permit writers, city officials," Irvin said. "But you also kind of get to meet a cross section of Californians. "We'll probably pick up a couple thousand people in (Southern California) along the way." Irvin said surveys dating back to the launch of the Partnership in 1999 showed about one in four people were aware of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. More recent surveys have pegged awareness levels at more than 40 percent. "But," Irvin noted, "that still means you have more than half not knowing." The vehicles use hydrogen fuel and oxygen from air, creating energy to drive an electric motor. Byproducts of the system are heat and water vapor, making the cars "zero emission vehicles". Irvin said the partnership's public-education efforts typically focus on common misperceptions and frequently asked questions about hydrogen-fueled vehicles. For example: How do you fill the car's hydrogen tank? Much like a standard gasoline tank, with a hose and a nozzle that creates an air-tight seal at the filling point. Couldn't a hydrogen-filled tank potentially blow up in a major-impact crash? Yes, but engineers contend an on-board hydrogen tank is no less dangerous than a tank filled with volatile gasoline, and tanks could be made safer with double-lined walls and surrounding steel reinforcements. Can I buy a hydrogen-fueled fuel cell vehicle from the Partnership? No, the Partnership's job is to test and develop the technology while exploring the future commercial possibilities for the vehicles. Until recently, the most-asked question about hydrogen-fueled vehicles - and what experts called the biggest roadblock to future development - was: Where do I fill it up? The hydrogen fueling station at the Partnership headquarters in West Sacramento used to be one of a mere handful in the Golden State. That has changed. More than 20 are scheduled to be in operation statewide by year's end. And under the "hydrogen highway" program being pushed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, that number could balloon to 200 over the next decade - with a goal of having hydrogen fueling stations at 20-mile intervals along California's Interstate highways. Hydrogen-powered autos have also been boosted by President Bush, who in January called for $1.2 billion in research funding. However, hydrogen also has a fair share of critics. They contend that federal and state governments need to concentrate resources on more affordable, proven green technologies, such as gas-electric hybrid power found on vehicles such as the Toyota Prius. One of the highest-profile critics has been Joseph Romm, a former head of energy efficiency and renewable technologies in Clinton administration. Romm, whose recently published book is called "The Hype About Hydrogen," told the House Science Committee last month that while he favored continued research on hydrogen, " -- a major effort to introduce hydrogen cars before 2030 would undermine efforts to reduce emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide - the main culprit in last century's planet--wide warming of 1 degree Fahrenheit." Irvin said debates over hydrogen power and other alternative fuels is welcomed - and part of the Partnership's challenge in educating the public. "There are a lot of things about fuel-cell vehicles that are easily misunderstood, so the more people we can reach with information helps raise awareness and we begin to have a kind of familiarity with the technology," he said. ~

As hydrogen fueling stations continue to spring up in the Golden State, the West Sacramento-based California Fuel Cell Partnership is taking the case for fuel-cell vehicles on the road.

"We're trying to emphasize the educational aspect," said Partnership spokesman Joe Irvin. "I think it goes a long way toward illustrating that these vehicles are not restricted to a lab in NASA's office."

The partnership - a consortium that includes representatives from the automotive and energy industries, technology developers and government agencies - is holding an "Earth Week Open House" from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at its headquarters, 3300 Industrial Blvd. The public will have the opportunity to ride in hydrogen-fueled fuel cell vehicles and to learn more about them at various presentations.

And at summer's end, the Partnership will roll fuel-cell vehicles in what is perhaps the highest concentration of internal combustion engines in the United States.

From Sept. 17-19, it will participate in the "Cruisin' Southern Cal: 2004 Fuel Cell Vehicle Road Rally." The 200-mile caravan of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles will begin in Los Angeles and wind south to San Diego. Along the route, the Partnership will showcase cars for an audience ranging from elected officials to everyday motorists.

"One of the advantages of events like this is that we can demonstrate the vehicles and explain them to media, to legislators, permit writers, city officials," Irvin said. "But you also kind of get to meet a cross section of Californians.

"We'll probably pick up a couple thousand people in (Southern California) along the way."

Irvin said surveys dating back to the launch of the Partnership in 1999 showed about one in four people were aware of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. More recent surveys have pegged awareness levels at more than 40 percent.

"But," Irvin noted, "that still means you have more than half not knowing."

The vehicles use hydrogen fuel and oxygen from air, creating energy to drive an electric motor. Byproducts of the system are heat and water vapor, making the cars "zero emission vehicles".

Irvin said the partnership's public-education efforts typically focus on common misperceptions and frequently asked questions about hydrogen-fueled vehicles. For example:

How do you fill the car's hydrogen tank? Much like a standard gasoline tank, with a hose and a nozzle that creates an air-tight seal at the filling point.

Couldn't a hydrogen-filled tank potentially blow up in a major-impact crash? Yes, but engineers contend an on-board hydrogen tank is no less dangerous than a tank filled with volatile gasoline, and tanks could be made safer with double-lined walls and surrounding steel reinforcements.

Can I buy a hydrogen-fueled fuel cell vehicle from the Partnership? No, the Partnership's job is to test and develop the technology while exploring the future commercial possibilities for the vehicles.

Until recently, the most-asked question about hydrogen-fueled vehicles - and what experts called the biggest roadblock to future development - was: Where do I fill it up?

The hydrogen fueling station at the Partnership headquarters in West Sacramento used to be one of a mere handful in the Golden State.

That has changed. More than 20 are scheduled to be in operation statewide by year's end. And under the "hydrogen highway" program being pushed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, that number could balloon to 200 over the next decade - with a goal of having hydrogen fueling stations at 20-mile intervals along California's Interstate highways.

Hydrogen-powered autos have also been boosted by President Bush, who in January called for $1.2 billion in research funding.

However, hydrogen also has a fair share of critics. They contend that federal and state governments need to concentrate resources on more affordable, proven green technologies, such as gas-electric hybrid power found on vehicles such as the Toyota Prius.

One of the highest-profile critics has been Joseph Romm, a former head of energy efficiency and renewable technologies in Clinton administration.

Romm, whose recently published book is called "The Hype About Hydrogen," told the House Science Committee last month that while he favored continued research on hydrogen, " -- a major effort to introduce hydrogen cars before 2030 would undermine efforts to reduce emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide - the main culprit in last century's planet--wide warming of 1 degree Fahrenheit."

Irvin said debates over hydrogen power and other alternative fuels is welcomed - and part of the Partnership's challenge in educating the public.

"There are a lot of things about fuel-cell vehicles that are easily misunderstood, so the more people we can reach with information helps raise awareness and we begin to have a kind of familiarity with the technology," he said.