That rebate mostly offsets the first year of leasing a hydrogen vehicle, which most drivers choose over purchasing. Manufacturers offer refueling cards loaded with three years’ worth of credit, and the state offers a $4,500 clean-car rebate. Incentives have eased that financial hit somewhat. It’s about bringing the technology to scale to drive down costs.”Īaron Slavin fuels his hydrogen-powered Toyota Mrai. “It’s no longer about proving the technology. “We are at a really interesting point right now,” said Keith Malone, spokesman for the California Fuel Cell Partnership, which brings together state agencies, vehicle manufacturers and natural gas companies that make hydrogen fuel.
The international exposure, coupled with increased consumer education from manufacturers, could catapult hydrogen to front-of-mind for car buyers. Even the Olympic Torch will be lit with a hydrogen flame. That obscurity could end this summer, though, when hydrogen cars and shuttle buses built in Japan will be showcased at the Tokyo Olympics. One reason motorists may not notice the hydrogen cars in their midst is that hydrogen-fueled Toyotas, Hondas and Hyundais don’t look much different from other sedans. It’s nearly impossible to fuel up a hydrogen car at home, so a broad network of stations is critical to wider adoption, experts say.
The cars are not easy to find, nor are the fueling stations: California has only 44 such stations, mainly in populous cities. There may be nearly 8,000 hydrogen cars on California roads, but that’s a microscopic number amid the state’s 35 million registered vehicles. The challenge for the automotive industry is overcoming basic market forces. Hydrogen-fueled trucks are lighter, which translates into efficiency for long-haul drivers.Įckerle said the dozen or so state programs encourage hydrogen technology to increase consumer choice - “seed-planting.” This investment will soon be eclipsed by that of private companies, he added. And more than a decade of testing hydrogen engines in transit bus fleets has produced results that surpassed projections, exceeding time without major repairs or replacement needed as compared to diesel engines. space program has long used hydrogen as rocket fuel. More than 26,000 hydrogen-powered forklifts are whirring around warehouses today, for example. Hydrogen as a transportation fuel has many applications. You are starting to see a sea change, as we get more aggressive about meeting our zero-carbon goals,” said Tyson Eckerle, deputy director of zero-emission infrastructure in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. A comparable hydrogen bus is more like $1 million. The technology remains expensive and hasn’t gained wide traction, ceding the green-transportation crown to battery-powered electric vehicles, which are more widely available and support an ever-growing recharging network.īut with successful pilot projects using hydrogen buses and freight trucks, and car manufacturers preparing to expand model options in the tiny consumer car market, proponents say this may be the year when the “fuel of the future” finally arrives. That revolution, part of the battle against climate change, never materialized. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered preparations for a traffic jam of zero-emission, hydrogen-fueled cars, buses and trucks.
California has been dreaming of a clean, modern hydrogen highway since 2004, when former Gov.
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