On May 26, 2009, a fleet of hydrogen-powered vehicles left Chula Vista, California,  to begin a nine-day road trip that ended on June 3 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Organized by the California Air Resources Board, the Hydrogen Road Tour 09 included fuel cell vehicles from Daimler, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen on a 1700-mile drive to promote hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Driving Earth-Friendly
Many consider hydrogen fuel to be the best long-term solution to America’s energy problem. Hydrogen fuel is an effective zero-emission fuel technology because it is the only clean fuel that can sustain both short- and long-distance mobility – a key point that the 2009 road tour emphasized. The vehicles are designed to convert hydrogen into electricity with the byproducts being heat and water, allowing the vehicle to be completely earth-friendly.

Understanding Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the world. When isolated from its compounds, it becomes a substantial source of natural energy. How does it work? To be more technical, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells stack together to combine hydrogen and oxygen to generate the electricity needed to run the car. Some feel Hydrogen-powered vehicles are better than regular electric vehicles, because they do not require battery recharge and eliminate the complications that arise with large model lithium-ion and nickel batteries.

Refueling in California
Currently there are 26 hydrogen fuel stations in operation in California servicing about 200 passenger vehicles. To meet anticipated demand, the Hydrogen Highway Initiative  requires 50 to 100 hydrogen stations to begin construction by 2010.

By Alyse Speyer
AskPatty Contributor

Alyse Speyer has a BA in Literature from the College of Creative Studies in the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has several published poems in the 2008 Spectrum and a short story published on UnderThisRedRock.com. She was also an editor for 2008 Into the Teeth of the Wind, a UCSB poetry publication. She speaks Spanish, French and has an understanding of Catalan. Alyse currently works as a freelance copywriter and blogger and writes for a variety of fields. She specializes in Search Engine Marketing and Optimization, web copy, and editing.

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