Top 10 hydrogen fuel cell car stories of 2008

(Note: To learn more about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and their potential to solve the oil crisis, please read the series of articles titled “Twelve Hydrogen Facts” which is part of the Hydrogen Manhattan Project.)

Here are the top 10 hydrogen fuel cell car stories of 2008 (as of November 28^th):

1.  The first production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (Honda FCX Clarity) rolling off of the production line this year.  The first Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line 100 years ago on October 1, 1908.

2.  The cross-country Hydrogen Road Tour 2008 that travelled from Maine to California.

3.  Executives from Toyota and Honda being much more vocal about criticizing plug-in battery vehicles which are a competitor (though an inferior one) of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

4.  GM’s Project Driveway hydrogen fuel cell vehicle demonstration program continuing and getting lots of media attention

5.  Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car leasing program starting

6.  Toyota announcing that the new FCHV (Highlander) hydrogen fuel cell vehicle gets 516 miles of driving range and is much more durable.

7.  Speech by Larry Burns of GM at the National Hydrogen Association annual meeting that stressed the need to build the hydrogen fueling infrastructure

8.  Toyota announcing at the National Hydrogen Association annual meeting that the only issue that they can’t solve by themselves with hydrogen fuel cell cars is getting the hydrogen fueling infrastructure built.

9.  Honda research chief Masaaki Kato saying that “Honda believes it will be easier, less costly and quicker to perfect the fuel-cell electric vehicle” rather than plug-in battery vehicles.

10.  Daimler (which is currently testing about 100 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles) saying that their B-class hydrogen fuel cell vehicle could be produced in limited numbers beginning in 2010 and could be ready for mass production between 2012 and 2015.

Honorable mention

11.  Hyundai announcing their plans for commercializing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles beginning with producing 1000 units in 2012.

12.  Hyundai/Kia unveiling the Kia Borrego hydrogen fuel cell vehicle at the Los Angeles auto show.  It is a mid-size SUV that gets 426 miles of driving range.

13.  Honda surprising the Los Angeles auto show by unveiling the FC Sport hydrogen fuel cell vehicle design concept.  Honda is showing that hydrogen fuel cell cars can also be sports cars.

14.  Linde announcing that their new 10,000 psi hydrogen fueling technology can fuel a hydrogen car in as little as three minutes.

15.  The European Union announcing the creation of a public-private partnership that will invest $1.5 billion over the next six years to advance the development of hydrogen cars.

What do you think?  Are the stories in the right order?  Which one would you have put first?  Did I leave any out?  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.