WITNESS: Four days at the wheel of a hydrogen car

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.stv.tv/articles/reuters/environment/WITNESS_Four_days_at_the_wheel_of_a_hydrogen_car_122613

WITNESS: Four days at the wheel of a hydrogen car

Nichola Groom covers alternative energy issues in the United States for Reuters News. Based in Los Angeles, she has spent the last six months reporting on the burgeoning renewables industry, visiting facilities that turn cow manure into natural gas and the sun's heat into electricity. In the following story, she reports on driving a hydrogen-powered car.

By Nichola Groom

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - I love my cute, zippy little Mini Cooper, but lately I've been cursing it each time I spend more than $50 to fill up.

So, when GM offered me the chance to test-drive a car that runs on hydrogen, I thought it would be a good way not only to save on gas but also to try a technology that some tout as the long-term answer to the emissions contributing to climate change.

And, I thought: "Just think of the bragging rights."

Before I could get behind the wheel, I had to go through an orientation. There, I saw a slide demonstrating the difference between what happens when there is a fuel leak in a hydrogen car versus a gasoline-powered car.

...

[DefenseLawyer]

1. Fuel leak? Oh the humanity! n/t

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Not exactly the Hindenburg

...

Because hydrogen is lighter than air, the hydrogen car had a thin flame shooting upwards at the rear of the car. The gas car, meanwhile, was completely engulfed in flames.

...

[DefenseLawyer]

3. I'm sure

I just couldn't resist the cheap joke.

[Juneboarder]

4. It Seems Like...

this person is reporting more on the luxury comparisons to our standard gas guzzlers, however I'd like more info on the cost to fill up, the hydrogen mileage and possibly a link to where all the hydrogen fill up stations are located.

[tinrobot]

5. In Los Angeles, there's one hydrogen filling station.

It's on the west side, of course.

The cool thing is that the hydrogen at the station is manufactured on site using an electrolyzer. No more big fuel trucks roaming the highways to get fuel to the pump.

http://www.cnet.com.au/cartech/cars/0,2000438541,339289642,00.htm

[Juneboarder]

7. No more fuel trucks...

How awesome would that be??

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. Well, if you want to know about stations, I guess I'd start here

http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/hydrogen-fuel-stations.htm
http://www.fuelcellpartnership.org/fuel-vehl_map.html
http://hydrogenhighway.ca.gov/

[Juneboarder]

8. Good Reading...

The first website, www.hydrogencarsnow.com, wasn't the best, but the latter two were full of info. I don't know if I'm convinced fuel cells are the way to go, but its really great to see that we are working towards alternatives.

Right now, I'd have to drive 20+ miles just to get to the closest hydrogen pump...