California Fuel Cell Partnership calls for 46 retail hydrogen stations, will cost just $180m
Last year, the California Fuel Cell Partnership released a "vision document" that laid out the group's plan for introducing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to California by 2015. The gist: start building refueling stations in LA and San Francisco-Sacramento with private and public money. You can download the vision document (abbreviated / full, both in PDF) from the CaFCP.
Yesterday, the CaFCP released their action plan for implementing the goals in the vision. On top of the two areas named last year, the action plan adds four places that should become "hydrogen communities": Santa Monica, Irvine, Torrance and Newport Beach. All told, CaFCP sees 46 retail hydrogen fueling stations in the six areas at a cost estimated at $180 million over four years (two-thirds of that to be paid for by the government). This will "meet the fuel needs of 4,300 passenger vehicles and 20 fuel cell buses by 2014" Want to do the math with me? That's more than $41,000 per vehicle. Of course, since the CaFCP says they expect 50,000 fuel cell vehicles in customer hands by 2017, they consider the $180 million an investment in the future. You?
[Source: California Fuel Cell Partnership]
PRESS RELEASE:
California Fuel Cell Partnership Action Plan: 46 Retail Hydrogen Stations by 2014 in Six California Communities Serving Thousands of Fuel Cell Vehicles
Sacramento, Calif. -- The California Fuel Cell Partnership has released an action plan that details a strategy for deploying hydrogen fueling stations and fuel cell vehicles in California . Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle and Station Deployment Plan: A Strategy for Meeting the Challenge Ahead specifies the steps needed to meet the fuel needs of 4,300 passenger vehicles and 20 fuel cell buses by 2014, and prepares for even more growth though 2017. The plan calls for 46 retail hydrogen fueling stations in six key California communities at a cost of about $180 million over four years; $60 million from industry and $120 million from government.
"By 2017, automotive manufacturers plan to place 50,000 zero-emission fuel cell vehicles in customer hands. FCVs will provide the performance, durability, driving range, and comfort that customers want, and meet the nation's need for a domestic fuel that is better for the environment," explained Catherine Dunwoody , CaFCP's Executive Director.
The California Fuel Cell Partnership's action plan has three focus areas:
- Developing early "hydrogen communities" for passenger vehicles with clusters of retail hydrogen stations in four Southern California communities: Santa Monica , Irvine , Torrance and Newport Beach , with additional stations to support the next identified communities and a network of connector stations
- Expanding the transit program in the San Francisco Bay Area with new mixed-use stations that provide fuel for passenger vehicles and transit buses, as well as dedicated retail hydrogen stations for passenger vehicles.
- Developing codes, standards and regulations with a state-of-the-art hydrogen station in the Sacramento area that will enable regulatory agencies to validate new test procedures as well as provide fuel for passenger vehicles in the Sacramento area.
To date, 250 demonstration vehicles-passenger and transit buses-have been placed on California 's roads. They fuel at 26 hydrogen stations in the state. Most of these are small stations built to fuel a specific fleet of cars for a limited period. Only six of California 's current stations are useable by all the automakers and their customers. California will need 50-100 hydrogen stations in just eight years, which will require the collaborative efforts of multiple industry and government entities.
"It's important to start today," concluded Ms. Dunwoody. "Building hydrogen stations to meet customers' fuel needs in 2014 will put California on the path to the early commercial market for fuel cell vehicles. FCVs will help reach California 's goals for improving our air quality, securing our energy future and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
Please visit www.cafcp.org for the overview or full version of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle and Station Deployment Plan: A Strategy for Meeting the Challenge Ahead.
CaFCP is a public-private collaboration of organizations including auto manufacturers, energy providers, fuel cell technology companies and government agencies working together to promote the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles. Hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle technology are a central part of a long-term strategy for air quality, climate protection and energy diversity.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Mark Tebbutt 4:07PM (3/25/2009)
I wonder how many fast recharging stations could be installed for the same $180m?
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Tohe 2:26AM (3/27/2009)
That is a waste of time and money. This kind of loopy programs are the ones who give a bad wrap to the green movement. EV is the future, hydrogen is a distraction.
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Carney 7:16PM (3/31/2009)
EV may be the future, but it is not the present. Too small, short-ranged, and expensive.
Until they're really ready for the mass market of normal people (the rich, nerd enthusiasts, ascetic greens, and short commuting single urbanites with no kids, pets, or cargo hauling needs do NOT count), the too often overlooked short to mid-term solution is alcohol fuel.
Lad 4:43PM (3/25/2009)
Hold on! The easiest way to make H2 is from reforming fossil fuels with lots of additional energy to break the H2 bonds from the carbon...lots of wasted energy and more emissions to worry about including CO2. Additionally, a whole tank full of high pressure H2, the size of an automobile trunk, contains the energy equivalent of 3 gallons of gasoline...very ineffecient!
So, who do you think is behind the push for H2? Right you are!: the carbon fuel companies...natural gas, coal and oil. Kind of reminds one of the tobacco companies: they know it's bad for people but they can't let go of the money until forced. And they are so entrenched with the politicians, it's going to take a long time to change over to clean energy.
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Dave 4:45PM (3/25/2009)
Let’s wait on these Hydrogen fueling stations until they come up with a breakthrough in generating Hydrogen more efficiently and cleanly. I would much rather the money be spent in further research instead of being spent on what will be a bunch of expensive inefficient White Elephant fueling stations. The Hydrogen Highway needs a series of miracle breakthroughs that will turn an expensive inefficient energy carrier system into something that is practical. We need to conserve energy and generate less pollution. When you can get the Hydrogen system as efficient and as cheap as an Advanced Battery or Super Capacitor storage system, then you should build your hydrogen stations.
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Lou Grinzo 4:48PM (3/25/2009)
The HFCV boondoggle rolls on.
The document linked above says that according to manufacturers' plans, they will have 50,000 HFCVs on the road in CA by 2017. Anyone care to guess whether (a) they'll actually hit that number, (b) how many EVs will be on the road by 2017, or (c) what it will really cost to build all those refueling stations, assuming they actually get built?
What a sad waste of time, money, and most of all, opportunity.
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gorr 4:49PM (3/25/2009)
Tax payers should refuse this and car manufacturers should put on the market hydrogen ice engine cars and hydrogen fuelcell cars too if they want and put a goddamm water electrolyser into the s*it car. Communism just plain don't work and state employees never deliver the goods. They just want brainwash jobs where they promise everything and protect themself by starving the taxpayer of any power. They just propose assisted suicide.
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paulwesterberg 4:56PM (3/25/2009)
According to wikipedia these are the members of the organization:
Oil Companies
* BP
* Chevron
* ExxonMobil
* Shell Hydrogen
Automobile makers
* DaimlerChrysler
* Ford
* General Motors
* Honda
* Hyundai
* Nissan
* Toyota
* Volkswagen
Hydrogen Fuel Cells
* Ballard Power Systems
* UTC Fuel Cells
Government Agencies
* California Air Resources Board
* California Energy Commission
* United States Department of Energy
* United States Department of Transportation
* United States Environmental Protection Agency
* National Automotive Center (of the Dept. of Defense/Army)
* South Coast Air Quality Management District
Another shitty transportation system brought to you by the oil corps.
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Chris M 8:58PM (3/25/2009)
Precisely. That's why former oilman Bush jr. was pushing hydrogen, and cancelled the PNGV project to produce high mileage hybrids.
Carney 7:44AM (4/03/2009)
I would also note that Bush's first Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham, who heavily pushed the Hydrogen Hoax, is now a registered paid agent of the Saudi government.
Tim 5:08PM (3/25/2009)
$180 Million for 46 H2 pumps? Well, that's only $3.9 Million/ea. I wonder who's getting pumped? Oh, I see it now... $120 million from the government (taxpayer).
Since we taxpayers are the ones always getting bent over, do we at least get a reach around this time?
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jake 8:14PM (3/25/2009)
That's pretty expensive considering it doesn't factor in the land cost. You can find gas stations for $1-2 million and sometimes under.
A 100kW+ fast charger costs about $100k so you can build a 8 charger (akin to an 8 pump) station for about $1 million. You can build 2-4 (or more if the hydrogen stations they refer to have capacity less than 8 cars, less than 4 if you include extra costs for energy storage to save operating costs) rapid charge stations for the same price.
http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/08/rapid-charging-electric-cars-from-oahu-to-you/
The killer in the report is that the hydrogen will cost $8-13 per gasoline gallon equivalent. Even factoring in that the cars will be roughly 2x as efficient as a gas car (pump to wheel) that's $4-6.5 per gallon equivalent.
If you do the same direct gasoline gallon equivalent (gasoline has 33.7kWh per gallon) you get $3.88 for the US average $0.115/kWh residential electricity (commercial is even cheaper). If you factor in that EVs are even more efficient than fuel cells to the point of 3-4x as efficient as a gas car (plug to wheel). That's $0.97-1.29 per gallon equivalent.
Add the fact that hydrogen vehicles will be few in numbers even in more optimistic estimates and I don't see why anyone would want to own a hydrogen station over a rapid charge station in a couple of years, given owning a rapid charge station isn't terribly different from gas station financially, except the fuel is even cheaper.
Chris M 9:45PM (3/25/2009)
Oh, but you can't expect the oil companies to put more than a token amount into this H2 boondoggle, they're not going to risk their fat profits on this, they've been screwing much too hard to get that loot. No reach-around, this is solely for their pleasure. The CFCP exists solely to serve up the Hydrogen Hype and lobby for government subsidies.
Of course, if numerous unexpected breakthroughs happen and bring the costs waaay down and plug-ins are somehow stifled and H2 takes off, you can be sure the oil companies will step in and take over all those government funded fueling stations!
Noz 9:05PM (3/26/2009)
You were the one who stated hydrogen is an oil company conspiracy...yet you say they won't put a stake into it.
Of course...subsidies and kickback backs from the government for battery research are justified and smell like roses...right? No motives for money grabbing there...of course.
The BS continues.
Chris M 11:17PM (3/26/2009)
Let me get you up to speed, Noz. The oil companies want hydrogen to be the next fuel, so they can still control our transportation and make lots of money off of us. Unfortunately, right now H2 looks rather iffy, as many problems remain unsolved and costs remain high, and efficient plug-ins are coming on fast. Solution for the oil companies - get government to pay for building all that hydrogen refueling and production facilities, then if H2 fails, the oil companies don't loose much, but if H2 succeeds, then the oil companies can take over those facilities and make money - rile up the conservatives about "socialism" and bingo! privatized for pennies on the dollar!
I have no qualms about Government subsidizing basic research, whether batteries or H2 or any other science, nor do I have any qualms about the government lending money to be repaid with interest. But government subsidized profits for private corporations is a big no-no in my book. Considering the uproar over AIG, I suspect most people would agree with me.
Noz 2:24AM (3/27/2009)
Actually Chris M, let's try and make you understand a few simple things.
Oil companies are actually not interested in hydrogen. They are in the business of oil. And will continue to be as long as they can pump it. Which will be a while IMO.
As much as oil companies want to control our transports, so do any other drivers of technology and energy....which includes the biofuel bunch (which is actually far more oil company-esque) AND batteries.
So let's teach you a concept once and for all. Battery industry folk want as much stake in the transport system as do oil companies. They care as much about profits and money as do the oil companies. They care as little about the environment as do the oil companies. And at this point, it's not even clear what environmental impacts millions and millions of cars and transports powered by batteries will have.
As it is, our current battery waste, toxic contamination, and pollution of landfills and what not due to battery waste is out of control....but somehow your magical thinking should cure that problem.
But of course....let's not stray off topic here. You flip flop all the time...and this is one time you slipped up a bit too much. So which story do you want to stick with Chris M?
A) The oil companies want to take over with hydrogen and it's a conspiracy?
OR
B) The oil companies won't waste time and money on hydrogen?
At least stick to one so you don't look like a flip-flopper.
Chris M 10:57PM (3/28/2009)
For companies supposedly "not interested in hydrogen", they certainly put a lot of advertizing out! Both Shell and Chevron put Hydrogen in a rather prominent place on their websites, and Shell has even installed a few H2 filling stations!
I don't begrudge any company of their desire for profits, or getting that profit by honorable and honest means. It is just that in some cases the methods used to get that profit are unscrupulous or unethical.
You seem concerned that spent batteries will end up in landfills, rather than be recycled into new batteries. Do you have the same concern for spent fuel cells? Silly me, of course not! Spent fuel cells most definitely will be recycled, the quarter million dollars worth of platinum in them is waay to valuable to simply discard.
To answer your false dilemma: The oil companies definitely do want hydrogen to succeed so they can continue to control our transportation, but they don't want to risk too much of their own money, so they get the government to pay the bills instead. I never said it was a conspiracy, it isn't concealed, the oil companies have been quite upfront and open about it, and even tout hydrogen on their websites!
Jharlan 5:19PM (3/25/2009)
We don't want hydrogen cars. We don't want hydrogen cars. We dont want hydrogen cars!
We want electric cars! Damit!
I am Not buying a hydrogen car, EVER!
If I have to make my own EV I will!
Don't you see the conspiracy here? We will still be at the mercy of the oil companies and the government if we are mandated the use of hydrogen cars. They will be totally able to control all transportation. It is how they will be able to control the population. The sun and wind are FREE. If we devise a solar or wind charging system with EVs we would be free also.
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jpm 4:01AM (3/26/2009)
Right on brother!!
jen 1:41PM (3/26/2009)
you do know you can make hydrogen with sun and wind, right? There is a solar hydrogen station in California, and a guy in New Jersey has solar panels on his roof creating hydrogen to power his fuel cell car. Plus there are companies working on home hydrogen refueling stations where you just attach your garden house and it electrolyzes the water.
I do want a fuel cell car. I have driven a few of them and they are amazing. Can you say the same? Have you even seen a plug-in electric vehicle?