The fuel of the future and the sun is now ready for pick up at the pump. Alternative energy junkies, rejoice!
Good news for those that own hydrogen-powered cars in California –you can now buy hydrogen fuel. Previously the fuel was given away to those that owned or leased hydrogen cars. This was done as part of a program launched to test the viability of a new hydrogen-based transportation system in California. Now the testing enters a new phase with the commercial sale of hydrogen fuel.
The Cal State Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility located in Los Angeles is now the first fueling station to sell hydrogen gas. It recently passed a state performance evaluation for certifying new hydrogen fueling stations–receiving a certification known as California Type Approval.
Believe it or not, one of the challenges holding up commercial hydrogen fuel sales has been measuring how much hydrogen is being dispensed. In contrast to gasoline pumps, which simply need to measure the liquid volume of gasoline being dispensed, hydrogen gas is measured by weight. At the Cal State Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, hydrogen gas is being sold by the kilogram.
The Cal State L.A. fueling station is capable of producing hydrogen onsite using renewable sources such as solar and wind power. Currently it serves the handful of California drivers leasing Hyundai Tucson Fuel crossovers and various other prototype and test vehicles. Soon, however, the Toyota Mirai will join the fray.
The Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car is slated to be sold in late 2015 and will available just in California. The Mirai’s expected range is 300 miles per fillup and refueling will take about five minutes. Acknowledging that there may be concerns about cutting-edge technology, the Toyota Mirai will come with an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the powertrain.
To help speed adoption of hydrogen cars, California has allocated $200 million to expand the network of stations over the next decade.
Source: Tyler Chevrolet
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