Why California Needs Fuel Cell Vehicles

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Indeed, these technologies will be vital across the country and around the world in reducing urban air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and dependency on petroleum fuels. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), the regional government agency responsible for achieving healthful air quality in the Los Angeles Basin, is leading a number of efforts to develop fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations as well as hydrogen-powered internal combustion cars. We need to research and demonstrate these technologies now so they can be commercialized in the near future.

Since no one can pick tomorrow’s technology winners, AQMD has invested in a diversified research and development portfolio including not only fuel cell vehicles but also hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles; next-generation natural gas-powered engines; and emission control devices for natural gas and diesel engines, to name a few. For all of its remarkable progress in cleaning the air, the Los Angeles Basin still has the worst overall air quality in the nation. Last year, we experienced 90 days when air quality was unhealthful – and that was the cleanest year on record for Southern California. We will need truly zero-emission vehicles in the future to continue cleaning our air in the face of a steadily growing population and economy.

Hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles emit only water vapor and have zero smog-forming, toxic, or greenhouse gas emissions. Some critics claim that producing hydrogen from a fuel source such as natural gas will negate the air quality benefits of fuel cell vehicles. Using today’s technology, fuel cell vehicles using natural gas as a feedstock produce 40 percent less greenhouse gas emissions and 70 percent less smog-forming emissions than a gasoline-powered vehicle, according to the state of California’s Hydrogen Highway Blueprint. And that is considering all associated air pollution from the natural gas well to the fuel cell vehicle. Using a renewable energy source such as solar or wind to generate electricity and produce hydrogen through electrolysis would drive the life-cycle emissions even lower, perhaps to zero.

Fuel cell vehicles are being researched and demonstrated by all the major automobile manufacturers. At AQMD, we’re taking several steps to help mature hydrogen vehicle technology. We have co-funded and completed construction of four small-capacity, demonstration hydrogen fueling stations in Southern California, with plans to build another 10 by the end of next year. One of the stations, at AQMD’s headquarters in Diamond Bar, Calif., uses solar panels to provide some of the electricity needed for hydrogen production through electrolysis. The development of these fueling stations sends a strong message to automobile manufacturers that the infrastructure will be in place for fuel cell vehicle demonstrations.

We are also beginning a unique demonstration program using hydrogen-powered internal-combustion engine vehicles. The project will convert 30 Toyota Prius hybrids to run on hydrogen instead of gasoline to gain real-world experience with a hydrogen-powered fleet. These vehicles will be cleaner than gasoline-powered Prius hybrids since they will meet the same ultra-low nitrogen oxide emission standards, and in addition they will have zero carbon monoxide and evaporative hydrocarbon emissions.

The hydrogen-powered internal-combustion engine vehicles are a bridging technology that will provide an incentive to develop hydrogen storage and fueling technologies. We believe that our hydrogen program, in concert with our other clean air efforts, is reducing emissions now and laying the groundwork for cleaner vehicles in the future.

William A. Burke, Ed.D., is the Governing Board Chairman of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (www.aqmd.gov), the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties in Southern California.