The Department of Energy, long a supporter of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, is much less so these days. Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu doesn’t see the case for hydrogen in the same way as his predecessors, with policies and funding of late reflecting a fundamental shift from hydrogen to battery-intensive plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.
This has been welcomed by electric vehicle interests but is disruptive to those who have long been working to make hydrogen vehicles a reality. While not necessarily sending hydrogen interests in a tailspin, it has made them question the government’s support for the long road to mass commercialization that has been going on for many years, and what this means.
Case in point: As the U.S. government de-emphasizes its hydrogen efforts, the German government has joined with leading industrial companies in a plan to build a thousand hydrogen fueling stations over the next five years. This coincides with the plans of some automakers that expect to begin selling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the same time frame. A similar effort is taking place in Japan, with the government there supporting the efforts of 13 oil and gas companies to dramatically expand hydrogen fueling opportunities in that nation. The contrast with the Obama Administration’s approach is stark, which many feel needs to change.
“Failure to act will insure the U.S. cannot meet its long-term fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction objectives,” says Charles Freese, executive director of GM Fuel Cell Activities. “GM has invested more than $1.5 billion in fuel cell technology and we are committed to continuing to invest, but we no longer can go it alone. As we approach a costly part of the program, we will require government and industry partnerships to install a hydrogen infrastructure and help create a customer pull for the products.”
General Motors’ focus on hydrogen vehicle development programs goes back decades and it has accelerated in recent years. Green Car editors have test driven many GM fuel cell concepts and demonstrators over the years including the Hy-Wire, HydroGen3, and Equinox Fuel Cell. The technology has progressed tremendously over these years and current product, although quite high-tech, drives just like a ‘normal’ vehicle. More than 100 Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell demonstration vehicles have been on the road as part of the automaker’s ‘Project Driveway,” with over a million miles of driving amassed to date by everyday drivers.
Among the latest breakthroughs in the automaker’s Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell program is the downsizing of the fuel cell powerplant by some 50 percent, allowing improved packaging that allows it to fit in the same space as a conventional four-cylinder engine, with a commensurate weight reduction of 220 pounds. Importantly, it also uses half the precious metals of the previous generation fuel cell, and that means a significant reduction in cost as well. Plus, according to GM, the program’s hardware mechanization has been dramatically simplified, a move that improves durability, reduces cost, and simplifies manufacturing.
GM claims that hydrogen-powered fuel cells “are a few years away from widespread commercial use,” and thus require additional investment and partnership. A key part of this is greatly expanded hydrogen station availability.
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