California readies for nonpolluting hydrogen-fueled cars

Nation’s largest commercial launch expected in 2014

California auto dealers will soon be offering a new kind of zero-emission car that can go can go as far on a tank as comparable gasoline models. They’re called fuel cell vehicles, or FCVs. On June 23, 2011, automakers displayed several hydrogen-powered demonstration models at the California Environmental Protection Agency in Sacramento. The Air Resources Board produced this video of the event, the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Showcase.

Fuel Cell Vehicles:

• Named after the under-the-hood technology that converts hydrogen to electricity and emits only water vapor

• Can achieve trip ranges similar to modern gasoline cars of all sizes

• Are an unexpected but welcomed outgrowth of ARB’s Zero Emission Vehicle requirement, adopted in 1990

• Are expected to be available for sale or lease in California by 2014, with a launch volume of 2,000 vehicles—more than any other state

• Are projected to number more than 50,000 on California roads by 2020.

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