Honda executive: “Safety is not an issue” with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

Here is a quote from the Honda presentation given by Edward Cohen at the Congressional briefing on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on June 12th:

“The point is that safety (of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles) should be taken off the table as an issue here.  Safety is not an issue with this technology.”

If you watch the video of his presentation, you will notice that he discussed what happens when a hydrogen leak occurs and how safe the tanks in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are during an accident.

Toyota plug-in Prius will be released in 2012 and cost around $47,000

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

Here are three excerpts from a Reuters article that was published late last night:

“Toyota Motor Corp plans to start mass producing plug-in hybrid vehicles in 2012, with a projected first-year output of about 20,000 to 30,000 units, the Nikkei business daily reported on Saturday.”

“Toyota wants to price its plug-in hybrids at a comparable price to Mitsubishi Motors Corp’s all-electric car, which debuts this month to fleet customers in Japan at 4.59 million yen ($47,800) before government subsidies, the Nikkei said, without citing sources.”

“Toyota’s plug-ins will be able to run 20-30 km (12.4-18.6 miles) on battery power alone at full charge, the paper said.”

My thoughts:

Would you rather have two regular Toyota Priuses or one Toyota plug-in Prius that gets 12-18 miles of range on the battery?

This clearly shows the limitations of plug-in battery technology.  These vehicles are not coming out for another three years.  And yet, the price is very high and the battery-only range is limited.

A key point to keep in mind is that 115 plug-in battery Priuses got less than 50 miles per gallon in an extensive fleet study that was done in 2008 and 2009 by the Idaho National Laboratory.

This is reality with plug-in hybrid vehicles which explains why Toyota is producing so few of them.

Second radio public service announcement from Americans For A Hydrogen Economy

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

Here is the second radio public service announcement (PSA) from Americans For A Hydrogen Economy.

Once again, thanks a bunch to Scott Goldbach for putting this together and promoting hydrogen fuel cell cars so well!

Platinum use in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles has decreased a lot and will get down to the same level as vehicles on the road today

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

A common criticism of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is the amount of expensive platinum that is needed in fuel cells.

However, platinum use in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles has already decreased a lot and will get down to the same level as vehicles on the road today.  Moreover, a lot of work is being done on platinum-free fuel cells.

Platinum is used in catalytic converters in vehicles today.  Furthermore, the platinum from catalytic converters and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can be recycled.

While older generations of fuel cell technology required a lot of platinum, the amount in the newer generations being developed by the car companies is a lot lower.

Here is an excerpt from an Automobilemag.com article titled “GM Continues Progress on Hydrogen Fuel Cells” that was published on May 21st which includes a quote from Jon Bereisa who is Director of GM’s Fuel Cell Propulsion program:

“Bereisa told us some particulars about the Gen VI fuel cell, ‘Now we’ve got the size down to where it can fit into a compact car.  It’s much smaller than what you just drove.  Plus we’re using a lot less platinum in the fuel cell stack, so cost is down.  But we’re able to deliver more range – around 300 miles – because we’ve got more cells in the stack.’”

Matt Fronk, Director of the GM Fuel Cell Research Lab in Honeoye Falls, New York, wrote a guest essay that was published in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle on April 5th.

The title of the essay is “Area GM research into fuel cell development moving forward.”   Matt Fronk discusses all of the progress that has been made with the GM hydrogen fuel cell program.

(Note: Unfortunately, the article is no longer up on the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle website.)

A person posted a comment criticizing the cost of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.  Here is an excerpt from Matt Fronk’s response:

“One of the main reasons GM continues to work on FCs (fuel cells) is that we see a path to cost.  Much of the cost today that people predict not falling is due to high levels of Pt (platinum).  There are ways to push this way down and get to comparable levels as next generation automobiles.”

Moreover, fuel cells may eventually not contain any platinum.  Three examples of organizations working on platinum-free fuel cells include Wuhan University (China), Nisshinbo, and Monash University (Australia).

I believe all of the car companies with strong hydrogen programs are almost certainly working on platinum-free fuel cells.  However, they are all very secretive about their fuel cell R&D programs, so this information is not readily available to the general public.

The only quote I have of a car company acknowledging that they are working on platinum-free fuel cells is from Larry Burns who is the Vice President of R&D and Strategic Planning for GM.  It is from an article that was published back in November 2006 in the Korea Herald.

Here is the excerpt from the article:

“GM is striving to minimize the requirement of the costly platinum used in its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to cut production costs for commercialization.

‘The key is to spread platinum on the fuel cell membrane as evenly as possible via a catalyst-thrift technology to meet cost and durability targets,’ Burns said. ‘We are also investing in other materials that can replace platinum.’”

Due to the reasons mentioned above, the bottom line is that the amount of platinum that is used in fuel cells is not expected to be problem for hydrogen vehicles.

UK-Hynet project has first meeting at Nissan facility with goal of building hydrogen fueling infrastructure in Great Britain by 2015

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

Here is an excerpt from a press release from an AutoblogGreen entry that was posted last Friday:

“NISSAN HOSTS THE LAUNCH OF THE UK HYDROGEN NETWORK (UK-HYNET) PROJECT

On Tuesday 23rd June 2009, Nissan European R&D hosted a meeting at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Bedfordshire to launch the UK Hydrogen Network (UK-HyNet) project.

UK-HyNet is an initiative that aims to position the country as one of the world’s leading hydrogen economies by 2015, by creating a network of hydrogen infrastructure throughout the UK.

While the UK already has clusters of world-leading knowledge and technological innovation in hydrogen, fuel cells and low-carbon energy systems, efforts have until now remained localised- and so dwarfed by national projects abroad. Under UK-HyNet, all these activities will become part of a coordinated national programme that can compete on the international stage.

The majority of automotive manufacturers plan to start the commercial mass deployment of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles (HFCVs) in 2015. It is the intention of UK-HyNet to create the conditions by which the UK becomes the country of choice for the car makers to launch their first HFCV fleets. This will provide a platform for the regeneration of the UK’s car industry, a showcase and test bed for its innovative technologies and a launch pad for a potentially huge and sustainable clean technology industry with enormous domestic and export market, wealth-generating and job-creation potential – in short, part of the ‘green route out of recession’.

In parallel with UK-HyNet, a UK Hydrogen Roadmap is being developed which will set out a strategic plan for the emerging hydrogen industry. UK-HyNet puts in place a practical mechanism for the implementation of the strategy articulated in the UK Hydrogen Roadmap.”

Video of presentations by Toyota, Honda, GM, and Mercedes (Daimler) at the Congressional briefing on June 12th on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

I posted the Toyota, Honda, GM, and Mercedes (Daimler) Congressional briefing presentations on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles a day after they were given on June 12th.

I wanted to let everybody know that videos of all of the presentations (including one from Air Products which is a hydrogen infrastructure company) can now be seen at Atwarwiththedinosaurs.com.

I have had a little bit of trouble with the video and audio at the beginning of each presentation.  But it gets better after a few minutes.

The point of the briefing was to educate Congress about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, so the Department of Energy hydrogen vehicle research program would be restored.

This is a HUGE story that deserves FAR more attention than it is getting.

Interview with Project Driveway participant Stephanie White who is currently driving the Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in Los Angeles

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

I was very fortunate to interview Stephanie White who is one of the GM Project Driveway participants in Los Angeles.  She currently is driving one of the Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.  Very exciting!

I think you will find all of the information that Stephanie provides to be extremely interesting.  She did such a fantastic job of describing what it is like to drive the vehicle.

Thanks so much to Stephanie for taking the time to answer all of the questions!  If you are on Twitter, you can follow her @StephsFuelCell.  If you are on Facebook, you can join the GM Project Driveway page which she started.

Furthermore, Stephanie has agreed to share some pictures which I have included below the interview.

Here is the interview which begins with some background information provided by Stephanie:

A little background: I’m a biologist for the State of California. My background is in marine ecology (I did my research in the Antarctic), and I’ve been involved with, and an advocate for, improving environmental awareness for as long as I can remember. I’m a native of Los Angeles, who’s traveled all over the world.

1. What was the application process for Project Driveway like? What steps were involved? How long ago did you go through the process?

I first heard about Project Driveway in October 2007, shortly after facing the fact that I needed to find a replacement for my old car. My boyfriend had seen an article that mentioned LA as a test market for the Chevy Fuel Cell Vehicle, so I signed up. Unfortunately, I wasn’t invited into the program on my first try. Still, I was excited about the opportunity to have an eco-friendly car to drive, so when I received an email from Project Driveway folks in July 2008, I jumped on the chance to join the community.

(There’s a brief introduction to the program and Project Driveway link at: http://www.chevrolet.com/experience/fuel-solutions/fuel-cell/ )

The first (and most important) aspect of becoming a participant of Project Driveway is determining if you are in one of the programs’ specified regions. GM uses home and work zipcodes to determine basic eligibility, since they want to be sure that both the Project Driveway staff and the hydrogen fueling stations are within a reasonable distance. Currently, the program is limited to specific areas in Los Angeles/Orange County, Washington DC, and New York. GM and Gongos Research have developed a series of questions for the initial sign up, everything from basic demographics to the vehicles you are currently driving. I just went through the process again with my Dad, it doesn’t take very long.

2. When did you get to start driving the Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and how long do you have it?

I took delivery of the GM Equinox Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle on May 8th, for a two-month lease. GM wants to get a lot of people behind the wheel – both so that the public can experience a fuel cell car, but also to get feedback on what folks like, or don’t like, about the vehicle. The more people test it out, the better the car will be when it hits the showroom floor. Also, some people are still overly concerned about hydrogen. I think this program also provides some insight into public perception of hydrogen as a fuel.

3. I’ve read that the vehicle gets around 180 to 200 miles of range. Is this about what you have been getting? Have there been times when you have almost run out of fuel?

Yes, that is about what I have been getting – although, I often fill up around the 120 mi mark or so (just the way it works out). The car tells you when you are below 50 mi range – that’s when I work my way toward a fueling station. The range is a little limited at this point (about 80 mile radius from any fueling station), but I don’t really feel restricted by it; I just try to fill up when convenient so that I am always ready to go.

I had one day where the limited range was a little problematic. Something came up, and instead of going to the LAX hydrogen station right after work, I had to make a detour to the GM Hub. Unfortunately, I hadn’t remembered that I would need to fill up at GM if I was going to make it home, and it was already nearing their closing time. As always, out GM folks came through and it worked out beautifully. I can’t praise them enough – the GM staff has been phenomenal through this whole experience.

As for almost running out — I was down around the 25 mile mark one day, about 2 weeks into my test-drive, as I was approaching the Shell Hydrogen station on Santa Monica Blvd. As I got off the 405, the trip meter changed to a message that said FUEL LEVEL LOW. It was really nerve wracking! I knew I had enough fuel, but still, you start to wonder: “Was the mileage reading accurate? I should have at least 15 miles left! How am I going to explain it to GM if I need to be towed 1 mile from the station?!”

4. How many miles per kilogram are you getting? Are you driving the vehicle conservatively? Aggressively? Somewhere in the middle?

I’m consistently getting approximately 47 to 55 mpg, essentially, although the fuel is measured in kg, so technically it is 47-55 m/kg or mpg-equivalent (where 1 kg of H2 = 1 gal equivalent of gasoline). I would say that I have been driving the car as I do my own gasoline-powered car; I have not tried to be overly efficient or overly speed-demonesque. As a native Angeleno, I am an assertive driver – I try to pace the lights, so I’ll move around slower traffic, and I definitely try to stay away from people yapping on their cell phones or sending text messages while driving! Yikes People! I like to have powerful acceleration for those instances, and the fuel cell performs beautifully. Still, I’m a little lighter on the pedal since I prefer a smoother, more consistent ride, as opposed to stomping on it at every green light, only to apply heavy braking at every red. When I give people test drives though, we usually test out the acceleration a bit more than I would in my normal day-to-day driving.

I did take the car up to the Santa Barbara/Ventura County line a couple of back-to-back days, which is near the upper range limit for the vehicle. I discussed it with GM staff, and they were confident I could make it there and back without any problems – and they told me not to worry too much! Still, I took the shortest route possible, and I drove very efficiently on those trips to be sure I had enough fuel to get back. That took a little coordination, since I needed a full tank (meaning a fill-up at the LAX station), and I really needed to watch my efficiency both directions. Luckily, I knew that I only needed to make it back to the Santa Monica Shell, which shortened the trip back by about 6 miles or so. I did have a little range anxiety when heading home the first day, so I called a PD alum who kept me relaxed and offered the best advice: DRAFT! Seriously though, I actually gained range on the way home, so instead of pulling into SaMo Shell with 20 mi range, I had 42 mi left (155 on the trip meter). The second day, I came back with a whopping 62 mi range (again, 155 on the trip meter).

5. At which fueling stations do you get your hydrogen?

I have been trained at the Clean Energy Station near LAX and the Shell Hydrogen station on Santa Monica Blvd (West LA), which means I can fill up there on my own. About once a week, I go to GM so they can download data from the car, and they’ll fill the car up there for me. This past weekend, I was down in the OC for an event, and I knew I’d need an additional fill up there, so GM arranged for a PD alum to fill my car for me at the UC Irvine station. There is a new Shell Hydrogen station that is almost ready to open in Culver City. I hope I’ll get to use it before I have to give the car back to GM.

6. How many minutes does it take to fuel the vehicle? Is it different at each fueling station?

Fueling time varies by each station, mostly depending on the technology of the fuel pump, and the method by which the hydrogen gas is delivered and pressurized. Stations which need to chill and compress the gas as it fuels require more time than stations which have pressurized, chilled gas waiting to be delivered. The LAX station has the newest technology right now – it only takes about 3-4 minutes to fill up, after about 2 minutes of safety checks for the hoses and delivery system. The Santa Monica Shell station takes about the same amount of time, but it only delivers fuel to 5000 psi/350 bar – meaning it only gives me a half-fill. The pump at this station does not have infrared sensors on the pump, so GM has us connect a data cable behind the license plate, so it can download data from the car while fueling. The neat thing about the SaMo Shell station is that they are delivering what is theoretically Green Energy – they use city water and city electricity (both delivered by LADWP), and produce hydrogen through electrolysis, and Shell pays a Green Energy surcharge to DWP for alternative (non-fossil fuel) electricity generation. Pretty neat! In addition, this station is the first fully integrated station – what I mean by that is it is a regularly operating gas station that happens to have one pump designated for hydrogen. Most of the stations have their hydrogen pumps in a designated location that is otherwise not associated with fueling. I guess the LAX station would be the next closest to a regular station, although only natural gas vehicles can fuel there.

7. How does the vehicle compare with driving a car that is powered by gasoline? What are the similarities? What are the differences?

I have to begin with telling you that this is, by far, the nicest car I have, or probably will ever, drive. GM held nothing back in giving us a well-appointed vehicle. I feel incredibly safe and comfortable in it, and I have the use of a variety of luxury features (navigation system, OnStar, XM satellite radio) that I have never had before.

In some ways the car is so similar to a regular ICE car that you can ignore the differences, but then again, knowing that I am driving a non-polluting car just makes me happy. I know that sounds silly, but it is so true. Anyone who has been following my twitter or facebook posts knows it (even my friends have been commenting about it!). More than that, I’m remembering how much I like driving. I feel so fortunate to be able to live in LA and to drive this car on the canyon roads and PCH. I can’t honestly say that I love LA’s traffic, but to know that the air coming out of the car is cleaner than that going in is worth a lot. Besides, I get to watch my fuel economy improve in stop and go traffic – it’s become a game to see how high I can get it!

As for the similarities: the car looks “normal” on the inside… steering wheel, accelerator & brake pedals, gear selector/shifter. The dashboard looks nearly the same too, except instead of a tachometer, the car has a kilowatt meter – when you are drawing power (stepping on the accelerator), the kW meter shows how much power you are using; when you are coasting or braking, the kW meter goes into the green zone to show you how much power you are sending to the battery through regenerative braking. The fuel gauge looks the same, except for the little “H” on the fuel pump icon, and of course, the navigation screen has a cool real-time power distribution display screen. The gas tank looks normal from the outside – but when you open the fuel door, the nozzle is a bit different (very similar to a natural gas vehicle) – the pump attaches to the outside of the nozzle, instead of a nozzle on the pump fitting into the car. The fuel door also has a sticker on it, which I love, that says “Fuel: Hydrogen Type I Class C”. Even the exhaust is special – you feel compelled to show people that they can put their hands right up to the exhaust slots at the rear of the car – four slots instead of a tailpipe – and just a nice little steam bath for everyone.

So, the differences: the fuel cell car has a neat jet-engine start up (and shut down), but it is much quieter than a regular car in every way. There is no transmission, so the fuel cell vehicle doesn’t shift, nor does it pause while you are accelerating. You put your foot down and the car just goes – warp speed! I find myself looking at other cars on the road even more than usual. I don’t want this to sound narcissistic or anything, but when you are driving such a special car, you want people to notice – and you want to reach out to those who are interested in the car. Many times PD drivers comment on rolling down the window on the freeway (in stop-and-go traffic of course), or at a stoplight, to tell someone about the car. It is really fun to see others so interested in the car – a highlight for fuel cell drivers, really! Of course, everyone also wants to look under the hood – I‘ve had the hood up more times than I can count! It certainly doesn’t look like the typical car engine – it isn’t a black greasy mess. The funny thing is that it isn’t really much look at, since all you can see is the big block that says “Fuel Cell” and the pretty black panels that cover the air filter and coolant reservoir. Still, it is definitely a “wow” moment for everyone.

8. What has been the reaction to the Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicle from your family, friends, people you come across in public, etc.? Are some people surprised at how far along the technology is?

The reaction from people has been so varied. I have spoken with other PD drivers who have had experiences similar to mine, so I know it isn’t unique to me. My family and close friends have been hearing about this vehicle since I first joined the Project Driveway community, and while they share my enthusiasm, they were still incredibly impressed when they first saw the car.

I’ll be honest and establish the fact that I am an eco-friendly tree-hugging vegetarian who has been taking public transit to work every day for the past 3 years. Ask anyone who knows me how I feel about gas guzzlers, and they know the answer. So, people have been enormously surprised to see that I am driving an SUV instead of a small, aerodynamic, econo-car. I’ll also point out that the vehicle is covered, literally covered, with all sorts of decals – mostly those that look like water molecules, but also GM Fuel Cell, Petroleum Free, and Zero Emissions. When I have brought the car to them, they excitedly stop all of their neighbors and invite them outside to have a look at the hydrogen car!

The next surprise is the proportion of folks who appear to be in lower socio-economic levels who are incredibly knowledgeable about the car, and readily approach and ask informed questions about the vehicle. I can’t fully express how interested they are about this technology.

There are many days when I drive the car and I don’t think enough people are noticing it. I thought more of my coworkers and neighbors might be more interested, but really, most just responded with a generic “oh, new car?”.

I think when people first hear about the car, they expect something that looks like an experiment. So when they see how real the car is, particularly after driving it, they want to know, “Where can I buy one?” or “When can I buy one of these cars?”. People want to know why it is going to take so much time to get these cars to the dealers, particularly because they seem so ready now.

9. Did you have to receive training from GM to learn how to fuel and operate the vehicle?

GM takes our safety and the reputation of the test-program very seriously, so they do provide in-depth training on the operation and fueling of the car. The drivers all recognize the privilege we have been given, and no one wants to jeopardize the program. That is why we are only permitted to fuel at stations where we have received training, and we are encouraged to ask questions if there is ever anything we aren’t sure of. GM has people on call 24/7 should we have any issues, in addition to OnStar advisors, who have been trained to recognize our fuel cell vehicles. Also, you might be interested to know that GM has provided training to first responders in the regions where the test-program is underway, and each fuel cell vehicle has a safety card which shows the “do not cut” areas, where the high-voltage electrical cables and air bag system components are located inside the vehicle.

10. What is a Project Driveway Driver Relationship Manager and how much do you communicate with this person?

Every driver in the program is assigned a DRM, who is the one who initially contacts a prospective driver to invite them into the test-drive program, and who serves as the point of contact throughout the test-drive. If I ever have any question what-so-ever, Alain is my first call; he’s even programmed into OnStar. I communicate by phone or email with my DRM at least once a week about a variety of things, from scheduling a weekly visit to the GM hub, to asking questions about the car. When a PD alum asked if I could bring my car to an event, I asked Alain if he could arrange for me to refuel in Irvine. Alain was also the one who called and invited me to attend a special press event (where I got to show Governor Schwarzenegger my car), to represent PD and GM’s fuel cell program.

The DRMs are great – they have created such a positive impression of GM. They are incredibly knowledgeable and genuinely interested in our experiences. Other PD alum will similarly tell you that their DRMs were ready to help at a moment’s notice. One of the test-drivers lived in an area that was evacuated during the Orange County firestorm last summer. Their DRM called to see if they needed help with the evacuation – he offered assistance with anything from moving valuables to picking up a car for them (they had their two vehicles plus the EFCEV, but only two drivers in the household). Even though the DRMs are the first point of contact, we do interact with other members of the GM fuel cell team, including engineers who do more of their work behind the scenes for PD.

11. Can you talk about how you met Governor Schwarzenegger recently?

I’d love to. Wow, what an honor it was to be invited by GM (via Alain) to represent Project Driveway for that exciting event! The 2009 Hydrogen Road Tour, which promotes both hydrogen fuel cell cars and the need for the hydrogen highway, traveled from the Mexican Border to Vancouver, Canada between May 26 and June 3.

Governor Schwarzenegger was scheduled to speak at a pit-stop press event to be held at the Shell Hydrogen station, on Santa Monica Blvd in West LA, and I was told that the Governor wanted to meet “regular drivers” – since GM and Honda are currently the only hydrogen fuel cell vehicles being driven on the road outside of manufacturer testing programs.

After the dignitaries spoke, Governor Schwarzenegger came over to talk with us about our cars (Actress Q’Orianka Kilcher was there with her Honda Clarity), before looking at the other manufacturers’ hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. He told us how great the cars are, and how promising the future is for hydrogen vehicles. There were cameras everywhere, and I was interviewed by a number of reporters, too. I was happy to see so much press coverage, especially with all of the state and national news that was breaking right then.

I was thrilled to attend, and, since I work for the State, and theoretically, for the Governor, my boss decided that nothing in the office trumped the Governor’s request to meet a “regular driver” from Project Driveway. In addition to all of the GM folks I met that day, I also met some top people in the hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle world. Really, it was just a thrilling day. For several days afterward, friends and family were emailing stories and photos about the event.

First radio public service announcement from Americans For A Hydrogen Economy

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

Here is the first radio public service announcement (PSA) from Americans For A Hydrogen Economy.  I was happy to help out by writing the copy for this one.

Thanks a bunch to Scott Goldbach for putting this together and promoting hydrogen fuel cell cars so well!

GAO report discusses problems with plug-in battery vehicles

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

Here are two excerpts from a CNSNews.com article titled “Electric Cars Will Not Decrease Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Says Federal Study” that was published earlier today:

“‘If you are using coal fired power plants and half the country’s electricity comes from coal powered plants, are you just trading one greenhouse gas emitter for another?’

Mark Gaffigan, co-author of the GAO (Government Accountability Office) report and a specialist in energy issues told CNSNews.com.”

“Another impediment to the success of plug-in cars, is the high cost of lithium-ion batteries. The GAO report noted that in order for plug-in cars to be cost effective they must be relatively inexpensive compared to gas.

‘Research suggests that for plug-ins to be cost-effective relative to gasoline vehicles the price of batteries must come down significantly and gasoline prices must be high relative to electricity,’ the report said.”

Challenge to AutoblogGreen plug-in battery advocates: Which vehicle will 95% of mainstream customers buy?

(Here is the plan for U.S. Congress to launch the hydrogen car revolution. Please tell your members of Congress to support it.)

If you read the comments on the very popular AutoblogGreen website, you will quickly notice that there is a very vocal group of plug-in battery advocates that are completely against hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

However, regardless of what anybody thinks will happen or wants to happen, mainstream customers will ultimately decide which technology wins in the marketplace.

Therefore, I am issuing the following challenge to the AutoblogGreen plug-in battery advocates:

Which of these three vehicles will 95% of mainstream customers buy?

1.  Toyota plug-in Prius (see YouTube video below)

While advocates of plug-in hybrid vehicles like to talk about 100 miles per gallon or 150 miles per gallon, the reality is not even close to this.

In an extensive study by the Idaho National Laboratory of 115 plug-in Priuses across the U.S., the vehicles averaged less than 50 miles per gallon which is only slightly better than a standard Toyota Prius.

But the large batteries in the plug-in Priuses add up to $10,000 or more to the cost of the vehicle.

2.  Mitsubishi iMiEV battery-only vehicle (see YouTube video below)

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV represents what mainstream customers will typically get with battery-only vehicles (a $109,000 two-seater Tesla is not a mainstream vehicle).  It is an ultra-compact sedan with almost no trunk space.  The driving range is 100 miles.

While the driving range is listed as 100 miles, a key point to keep in mind is that the real-world driving range may be significantly lower.  Former Tesla Chief Marketing Officer Darryl Siry wrote last month in the fascinating article “The Problem with EV Range Figures” that:

“The problem is that the EPA driving cycle numbers systematically overstate what the typical driver is going to see in their daily driving. It wouldn’t be so bad if the EPA number was close to the average and depending on your driving you might see less or you might see more. But it doesn’t work that way. In reality, the EPA number is essentially an upper limit number. The actual range you will get from a complete charge depends on a lot of factors, but I would say that as a general rule of thumb, if a company quotes an EPA range, you should apply a factor of 70% to that to get a realistic average range for a full charge.”

Furthermore, the driving range of battery-only vehicles will go down over time.

3.  Toyota FCHV-adv hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (see YouTube video below)

The Toyota FCHV-adv hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is a mid-size SUV that gets over 400 miles of real-world driving range.  Furthermore, as can be seen in the following picture which was taken before the Hydrogen Road Tour last month, the vehicle has a significant amount of trunk space.

Quite simply, the Toyota FCHV-adv hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is just like the vehicles that customers drive today.  And yesterday Toyota reiterated that the company would begin selling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2015.

When given a choice of these three vehicles, it is quite obvious that 95% of mainstream customers will buy the Toyota FCHV-adv hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

Therefore, the focus should be on building as many hydrogen fueling stations as possible between now and 2015.  This will allow Toyota and other car companies to sell a large number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles when they arrive at dealerships in 2015.

I look forward to reading the responses on AutoblogGreen.