The Hydrogen Road Tour, showcasing clean, efficient, hydrogen-powered vehicles, made a stop at University of Delaware Thursday Bob Carpenter Sports Arena as part of its nationwide effort to show that hydrogen-powered cars are approaching commercial availability.
The hydrogen tour is a coalition that hopes to create a nationwide infrastructure to fuel hydrogen-powered vehicles during a time when oil and gasoline prices have risen and people have become more environmentally conscious.
The road tour began in Maine and will end in California, spanning 33 cities in 13 days. The U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the National Hydrogen Association and nine auto manufacturers are sponsoring the tour, which is part of President Bush’s “Hydrogen Fuel Initiative.”
UD is already on board with the new technology: it operates a campus shuttle bus powered by hydrogen fuel cells, said Ajay Prasad, professor of mechanical engineering at UD.
A consortium consisting of EBus, Ballard Power Systems, Electric Power Research Institute, Air Liquide Advanced Technologies U.S. and the Delaware Transit Corp. was assembled for this hydrogen fuel cell project at UD.
“A fuel cell vehicle has zero harmful emissions – wisps of steam or a trickle of water. That’s all,” said Prasad, principal investigator of project.
The tour stopped at UD because it has been innovative in finding new fuel technologies, said Paul Brubaker, administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation. The hydrogen-powered cars are very important in the United States’ strategy to get off its dependence on foreign oil, he added.
“The question is not if hydrogen powered vehicles will be available commercially, but when,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) took the Honda FCX Clarity out for a spin around the parking lot at the Bob. The car is propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in its fuel cell, its only emission is water, and its fuel efficiency is three times that of a modern gasoline-powered automobile, according to Honda officials.
“Oil [often] comes from places that are not necessarily friendly to us and there is concern with price squeezing,” Castle said. “We would like to be more environmentally sound, get better gas mileage and pay less at the pump. Those are the ultimate goals.”
Vehicles on display included BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen, UD’s fuel cell bus, and the Linde mobile refueler.
For more information about the hydrogen tour, visit http://hydrogenroadtour08.dot.gov.
