Browse > Home / Consumers & Fleets / First hydrogen fuel station in California opens in Los Angeles

First hydrogen fuel station in California opens in Los Angeles

June 27, 2008

In California, the first hydrogen fueling station in the state opened in Los Angeles, near interstate 405 on the west side of the city. State officials said that they foresee a “hydrogen highway” in the state that will promote the commercial development of hydrogen vehicles. Currently there are 100 hydrogen-powered cars in the state.

Hydrogen background

• General Motors VP Larry Burns, addressing the National Hydrogen Association, said that the auto industry had developed hydrogen vehicles, and government and energy companies must develop the infrastructure for fuel distribution. “It’s no longer a question of ˜can it be done?” or ˜should it be done?” said Burns. “We not only should do it. We must do it. It’s now a question of collective will. Do we have the collective resolve to work together to solve the challenges we face rather than handing them off to future generations?”

GM continues to push hard on promotion of E85 and flex-fuel vehicles as an offset to the imposition of stricter CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standards. Every flex-fuel car sold contributes an offset to each car maker’s CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standard, under the new Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) signed last month.

• In Florida, SeaWorld Orlando announced that it would deploy two new hydrogen-powered shuttle buses this week, joining a program that provides transport between the Orlando Airport and the Orange County Convention Center. The new buses will be used to transport employees. The hydrogen-fuel bus program was created by a partnership including, Ford, Chevron Technology Ventures, Progress Energy, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The state’s hydrogen refueling station near the Orlando airport will service the buses, part of a 30-vehicle test fleet provided by Ford.

• Acta stated its belief that a hydrogen fueled transport system is ten years away, not 20 to 30 years. The company made its pronouncement after inking a development project deal with an unnamed Asian carmaker. Acta produces hydrogen from on-board catalysts that use ammonia or ethanol and can work with the existing fuel infrastructure.

• Researchers in England announced a process to convert glycerol to hydrogen gas. The new process is reported to be substantially cheaper than water electrolysis, the most popular production method for hydrogen. In the process, researcher mix glycerol with steam and produce water, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, producing pure hydrogen gas after the carbon is absorbed by special filters.

• ExxonMobil, QuestAir Technologies and Ben Gurion University said recently that they had completed initial development on a hydrogen production system for fuel cells that would convert biofuels on-board to hydrogen. Plug Power said that it will join the group to develop the technology for use in lift trucks, and expect to complete this phase of development by 2010. Earlier this month, an ExxonMobil manager said that hydrogen will not play a significant role in transportation looking ahead to 2030 either.

  • E85 launches in Los Angeles as GM stages 85-cent ethanol promotion
    • In California, the first E85 station opened in the Los Angeles metro area, at the Conserv station in Brentwood. General Motors sponsored an 85-cent per gallon E85 promotion for opening day. There are ...
  • 2 million hydrogen cars possible by 2020; $54 billion in subsidies required; platinum supply, cost are barriers to adoption
    • A report requested by Congress and prepared by the National Research Council found that the market for hydrogen fuel cell cars is projected to reach 2 million by 2020, but only if technological hurdle...
  • Nine hydrogen fuel cell cars complete 13-day trek from Maine to California
    • In California, nine hydrogen fuel cell powered cars reached Los Angeles Coliseum after a 13-day trek from Portland, Maine to promote hydrogen fuel. The journey was conceived by  USDOT research offici...
  • Missouri E85 station opens
    • The Franklin County wine country area of Missouri, southwest of St. Louis, has its first E85 flex-fuel station opening this week: a Murphy USA branded station....
  • National Research Council hydrogen report: “The cost premium for hydrogen fuel cells offset to be offset by savings in fuel costs by 2023″
    • In Washington, more details emerged from the National Research Council Report on Hydrogen Fuel Technology. A copy of the report obtained by Biofuels Digest revealed 13 distinct conclusions. "1:  A...
  • Santa Cruz, CA opens 2nd E85 station in California
    • In California, the City of Santa Cruz opened an E85 station, the second in California. The fueling station will be operated by International Institute for Ecological Agriculture under a five-year lea...

    Written by Jim Lane · Filed Under Consumers & Fleets 

    Comments

    Got something to say?

    You must be logged in to post a comment.