California Energy Commission and Toyota Fuel Hydrogen Economy in California

July 29th, 2014 by Fiedler Group

Working together, the California Energy Commission and Toyota are further developing and investing in the future of the hydrogen economy in California.

Due in part to grant and loan funds from the two parties, FirstElement Fuel plans to open 19 hydrogen fueling stations in California in October 2015. An additional  nine other proposals were also awarded California Energy Commission grant funding for hydrogen fuel station development throughout the state.

The investment is on par with California’s earlier-stated desire to have 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025.

While there are currently nine hydrogen fuel stations scattered in California (as of July 2014), the promise of nearly thirty new hydrogen fueling stations is promising to car companies who first look for a fueling infrastructure before delivering zero-emission fuel cell vehicles to the public.

In fact, car makers set alternative fuel vehicle availability and its expansion to other regions based on the deployment of refuelling stations.

So it’s no coincidence that Toyota — perhaps seeing the adoption of hydrogen fueled vehicles in our near future — released its fuel cell vehicle concept at CES in Tokyo. The car company indicated the concept car resembles the size of its Camry model, features an electric motor that’s powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, can drive more than 300 miles without refueling (which is more than the Tesla Model S), and will be ready for mass production in 2015.

It’s worth noting that Hyundai’s ix35 Fuell Cell SUV — known as the Tuscon — already arrived in the U.S. in May 2014 — making it the first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle in the U.S. market. The Hyundai leasing program includes unlimited free hydrogen refueling asnd valet maintenance at no additional cost.

While you won’t find a hydrogen fuel station on every corner like you currently find gasoline stations, the hydrogen station rollout will place stations within driving distance of most metropolitan areas.

Joel Ewanick, CEO of FirstElement Fuel, tells Techcrunch that the development of the hydrogen stations will also feature significant savings, with the cost of a station projected to drop by as much as 50 percent over the next decade, with fuel costs anticipated to drop 30-40 percent respectively.

To learn more about Fiedler Group’s role in the development of alternative fuel projects, contact us today.