“I congratulate the winners of today’s DOE National Science Bowl® Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge,” said Dr. Raymond L. Orbach, Under Secretary of Energy for Science. “Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology plays an important role in reaching President Bush’s goal of reducing America’s gasoline consumption by 20 percent in 10 years. The students who built and raced these model hydrogen fuel cell cars today are helping the President’s goal become a reality.”

Teams from 30 middle schools across the country competed in the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge. In the ten meter straight track competition, the three fastest teams took home trophies and cash prizes. The top three finishers in this race were:
1. St. Andrews Episcopal School, Amarillo, Tex.
2. Salem Middle School, Apex, N.C.
3. Triadelphia Middle School, Wheeling, W.Va.

Hydrogen-powered vehicles use a simple chemical reaction to turn hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity. Unlike a normal internal combustion engine that emits pollutants, the only byproduct of a fuel cell is water vapor. Hydrogen filling stations are already operational in Washington, DC and throughout California. In fact, the United States Postal Service already uses a hydrogen vehicle made by General Motors for mail service in Virginia. Additionally, auto makers around the globe are investing to make hydrogen-powered transportation available to consumers within the next decade.

“General Motors is committed to developing advanced vehic le propulsion systems that will revolutionize automotive transportation,” said Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president, Environment, Energy and Safety Policy. “The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge is an excellent opportunity to engage the future generation of engineers and scientists that will join us in this endeavor.”

President Bush’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative (HFI), a component of the Advanced Energy Initiative, accelerates the pace of research and development on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for use in transportation, electricity generation and portable power. Working with industry, academia, and the national laboratorie s, DOE has developed a long-term plan for moving toward widespread implementation of hydrogen technologies – a solution that holds the potential to provide virtually limitless clean, safe, secure, affordable, and reliable energy from diverse domestic resources. Ultimately, hydrogen could become one of a diverse set of alternatives that will address the energy needs of the United States. For the fiscal year 2008, the HFI budget request is $309 million.