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Title: GM Creating Hydrogen Car Test Market in Hawaii
Source:
Pacific Business News
URL Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/ ... otors-the-gas-co-agree-to.html
Published: Dec 11, 2010
Author: Sophie Cocke
Post Date: 2010-12-11 12:34:36 by jwpegler
Keywords: None
Views: 163
Comments: 2
Hawaii is on the verge of becoming an international test market for hydrogen cars, based on an agreement signed Wednesday by General Motors, The Gas Co. in Hawaii, branches of the military, and federal, state and private parties. The goal is to begin rolling out a fleet of as many as 10,000 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on Oahu beginning in 2015 that will be supported by an estimated 20 to 25 fueling stations. The move would mark the first major commercialization of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. GM hopes to export the model to other states and countries. GM officials anticipate that the price point of the zero-emission cars, which run 300 miles before needing to refuel, will rival that of vehicles running on regular gasoline. While hydrogen cars have been in the research and development stage under several automobile makers, including GM, which has more than 100 demonstration vehicles in six countries, the technology has yet to become cost competitive and has been hamstrung by a lack of infrastructure to support fueling stations. But Hawaii is unique in that it’s the only state where the natural gas being refined already has hydrogen in it, eliminating conversion costs. And the ready- made infrastructure solves the longstanding problem of how to deploy the hydrogen in a cost-effective manner. “The infrastructure is already in place, and that’s huge,” said Jeffrey Kissel, president and CEO of The Gas Co. The Gas Co. will build part of the costs of hydrogen-gas production into its rate structure to be approved by Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission. The stations, which typically cost between $1.2 million to $2 million each, will likely be funded by multiple players, according to Charles Freese, executive director of GM’s fuel cell sector. GM said it is still trying to determine the amount of its total investment. While GM is already in the process of moving hydrogen cars into the state, battery-powered electric cars are poised for a major move into the Hawaii market in the coming months. The two technologies are expected to play a major role in helping the state achieve its renewable energy goal of 70 percent renewable energy by 2030, laid out in the 2008 Clean Energy Initiative. Currently, about a third of the oil being imported into the state is for ground transportation. While the natural gas being refined in Hawaii is derived from petroleum, The Gas Co. is actively pursuing other clean energy sources, such as animal fats, from the Big Island and other biofuels to be used in its refineries. Currently 5 percent of its gas is derived from wastewater. The hydrogen produced by The Gas Co. and the fuel cells being manufactured by GM could also provide a constant source of electricity to be fed into the islands’ grids. “Fuel cells are really a huge advance in energy utilization,” said Kissel. “It’s really as important an event, in my view, as the lever was to Archimedes. It’s a game changer.” Other parties to the agreement include the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; the U.S. Department of Energy; FuelCell Energy; Aloha Petroleum; Louis Berger Group; U.S. Pacific Command; U.S. Pacific Air Forces; U.S. Army Pacific; U.S. Marine Forces, Pacific; U.S. Marine Forces, Pacific; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; the County of Hawaii; the University of Hawaii; and the University of California at Irvine.
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#1. To: All (#0)
(Edited)
My view for some time is that hydrogen fuel cells are the future of the automobile. Mercedes believes that -- they are working with partners to build 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations in Germany. By the way, GM's hydrogen SUV has been under development for several years. GM's hydrogen platform:
"It's very important to remember the law is not simply what powerful people would want others to believe it is." -- Julian Assange
#2. To: All (#0)
"It's very important to remember the law is not simply what powerful people would want others to believe it is." -- Julian Assange
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