The U.S. Navy is among the first to receive a GM fuel cell vehicle as part of the Hawaii Hydrogen Initiative.
The U.S. Navy is among the first customers to take delivery of a Chevrolet Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicle as part of the Hawaii Hydrogen Initiative, GM said today.
The Hawaii Hydrogen Initiative, subsidized by federal taxpayers, will try to promote hydrogen as a renewable fuel in the Aloha state.
Ten companies, government agencies and universities have joined The Gas Company (TGC), and General Motors to make hydrogen-powered vehicles and a fueling infrastructure a reality in Hawaii by 2015. GM confirmed that the Equinox was on lease, but declined to elaborate, citing the Navy’s insistence that terms not be disclosed.
GM and the Navy also have a contract to use a fuel cell in an unmanned, underwater vessel.
The state of Hawaii wants to reduce petroleum use by 70% within a generation by switching to a combination of renewable energy resources, as well as increasing conservation and efficiency. The goal is for 20 to 25 hydrogen stations to be installed in strategic locations around the island and make hydrogen available to all of Oahu’s 1 million residents.
Hawaii could benefit from hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles because it depends on imported petroleum for 90% percent of its energy use. Gasoline prices are among the highest in the U.S. and electricity prices are the highest.
However, fuel cells continue to face many, many challenges, including extremely high costs for the energy and the fuel cell vehicle itself, as well as limited range. One solution to overcome range anxiety is under development at GM to allow for 300 miles between refills, but it requires large, high-pressure hydrogen tanks (700 bar, 128 Kg in weight!), which can take up much of the usable space of a car.
