A Toyota fuel cell vehicle fills up at a new Shell hydrogen station near Los Angeles.
Toyota is partnering with Shell, among others, to expand the availability of hydrogen to the small but growing fleet of fuel cell-powered vehicles roaming around Southern California.
The new station, near Toyota’s U.S. headquarters, has a critical advantage over the few other hydrogen refueling facilities previously in use. It can tap into the extensive pipeline network that feeds hydrogen to refineries and other industrial users up and down the South Coast of Los Angeles. Until now, facilities either had to produce the gas through such methods as electrolysis, or rely on deliveries of the gas.
“Building an extensive hydrogen re-fueling infrastructure is a critical step in the successful market launch of fuel cell vehicles,” said Chris Hostetter, group vice president, product and strategic planning, TMS. “We plan to bring a fuel cell vehicle to market in 2015, or sooner, and the infrastructure must be in place to support our customers’ needs.”
With increasing concerns about global warming – as well as the dependence upon imported oil – there’s a growing push to develop alternative power sources for the nation’s automotive fleet. The primary focus, these days, is on battery power, but many experts believe that the ultimate solution is to switch to hydrogen.
The clean, lightweight gas can be burned in a modified internal combustion engine or fed into a fuel cell where it combines with oxygen to produce a steady stream of electricity – which is why the technology is sometimes referred to as a “refillable battery.” That energy can be used to power a motor drive system like those in use in regular electric vehicles. The exhaust from a fuel-cell vehicle, or FCV consists solely of water vapor.
Despite being clean, the technology has plenty of challenges. Fuel cell stacks are still costly. Storing hydrogen onboard is difficult. And then there’s the issue of creating and distributing the lightweight gas.
Though the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen is not freely available on Planet Earth and most be produced through various means that include electrolysis – using electricity or high heat to split water into hydrogen and oxygen – or cracking fossil fuels like petroleum, natural gas or coal. Environmentalists favor using renewable electricity to split water.
But for now, proponents simply want to ensure there is a supply available for test fleets – a number of which now operate in Southern California. Toyota is fielding a number of prototypes, as are General Motors and other makers. Meanwhile, Honda is leasing to interested consumers its FCX hydrogen car and Mercedes-Benz has just launched sales of its new F-Cell.
But, “This is the first time Shell has worked closely with a vehicle manufacturer to develop a demonstration station,” said Julian Evison, general manager of operations for Shell alternative energies. “The industry has made good technical progress, but cooperation is a necessity for hydrogen to achieve its commercial potential as a road transport fuel.”
Toyota, like many makers, has shifted focus to electric propulsion, with an expanded line of Prius hybrids, a plug-in hybrid and two pure battery-electric vehicles in the works. But it still plans to put a limited number of FCVs out on the market by mid-decade.
The maker is also finding other uses for hydrogen. Tapping into the regional hydrogen pipeline, it is feeding a stationary fuel cell system that is providing 1 megawatt of energy to its Torrance headquarters campus.