San Francisco Test Drives Fuel Cell Cars
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome will be driving one of the few hydrogen fuel cell cars in existence to some official events this year. The city’s Environment Department has leased two fuel cell vehicles from SF Honda, and they will be rotated among various city officials including Mayor Newsom.
“In these times when breaking our dependence on fossil fuels and gaining energy self-sufficiency is critical, San Francisco is demonstrating the viability of clean, alternative technologies,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom.
“San Francisco is poised to become the premier stop on California’s hydrogen highway,” the mayor said.
The Honda FCX cars will fuel up at a new hydrogen fueling station to be built by the end of April at the City’s Central Shop facility, which already services the City’s other alternative fuel vehicles.
A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device that converts hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing electricity and heat in the process with no other emissions.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the Honda FCX can travel 170 miles between fuelings. The cars have a braking system that recharges the vehicle’s ultra-capacitor, as well as an advanced computer system that monitors and regulates their performance.
The Honda FCX is the first fuel cell vehicle to be certified by the California Air Resources Board and the EPA, and is considered a zero emission vehicle.
“Ten years ago fuel cell vehicles seemed like science fiction, but the fact that we’re able to drive these cars today on the streets of San Francisco makes me believe that eliminating harmful vehicle emissions is not only possible, but certain,” said SF Environment director Jared Blumenfeld.
While San Francisco was able to lease these vehicles as part of an early demonstration program, fuel cell cars will not likely be commercially available to the public for another 10 years. Funding for this program came from a variety of sources including the Goldman Fund, PG&E, Transportation Fund for Clean Air, and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The hydrogen fuel cell pilot project will demonstrate how well these vehicles will perform in San Francisco’s hilly terrain.
The city’s Fire Marshall, health and safety officials and fleet maintenance personnel will have opportunities to understand hydrogen’s unique properties, paving the way for the future use of this fuel. The city will share its experience with other fleet operators and municipalities in the Bay Area and beyond.
“San Francisco is demonstrating great vision by taking part today in what will likely be the transportation standard of the future. This program helps bring the vision of a hydrogen economy closer to reality, and demonstrates the Honda FCX is a practical vehicle for today’s world,” said Gunnar Lindstrom of American Honda Motors.
The city’s currently operates over 700 clean air vehicles, including street sweepers, parking control vehicles, and police squad cars that run on natural gas; zero emission battery electric vehicles in the vehicle pool; and neighborhood electric vehicles for use in parks and open spaces. Other city sponsored programs include low emission taxicabs and a fleet of natural gas long haul garbage trucks.
Source: Environmental News Service (ENS).
