Hydrogen fuel option planned for California

A major innovation for California will be the wider availability of hydrogen as a ‘green’ fuel source for motor vehicles. Plans are in hand with the establishment of FirstElement Fuel, a retail hydrogen fuelling start-up business, being part-funded by automotive giant 1013 Toyota Motor. FirstElement Fuel is headed by former marketing chief of 4070 General Motors Joel Ewanick and is receiving US$7.2 million of funding from Toyota. The funding from Toyota will help with construction of hydrogen fuel stations through the state, which has long pioneered strategies to reduce vehicle exhaust emissions and lower pollution levels. In addition, some $46.6 million in grants will come from California’s authorities to help fund the building of new hydrogen fuel outlets. The automotive sector is keen to develop this fuel source, with both 2288 Honda and 236 Hyundai looking to introduce fuel-cell vehicles during 2014 and 2015, which require hydrogen. FirstElement Fuel also received funding from the state authorities and intends to open 19 new stations selling hydrogen as a fuel in California, while the grants will help pay for a further nine hydrogen fuel outlets being built by other firms. Meanwhile work is being carried out by the US Energy Department, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories on designs for hydrogen fuelling stations as part of the H2FIRST project.