Remember back in the year 2000 when you used to hear all kinds of talk about the coming hydrogen economy? Now it seems the brave new world of the hydrogen economy has gone the way of Ricky Martin’s singing career. But hydrogen fans take heart! Toyota Motor Sales USA, Air Products, Shell, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have just gotten together to open a hydrogen filling station fed by a pipeline. It’s a big deal because, compared to gasoline, hydrogen is notoriously difficult to transport and store -- so piping it into a refueling facility is a breakthrough. The station will provide hydrogen for Toyota fuel-cell vehicles, as well as for other manufacturers’ fuel-cell vehicle fleets in the Los Angeles area.
“Building an extensive hydrogen refueling infrastructure is a critical step in the successful market launch of fuel-cell vehicles,” says Chris Hostetter, group vice president of product and strategic planning at Toyota Motor Sales. “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.”
Let’s hope all of the customers for the 2015 Toyota fuel-cell vehicles live in or near Torrance, Calif. The station is located adjacent to the Toyota headquarters there, and Toyota leases the land to Shell for a nominal fee. As station owner/operator, Shell works directly with Air Products, which provides onsite equipment and station maintenance. The pipeline gas is provided by Air Products from its plants in Wilmington and Carson, Calif. SCAQMD and DOE provided project funding assistance and moral support.
Air Products also worked with Toyota and other fuel-cell vehicle manufacturers to develop the Hydrogen Vehicle Authorization System (HVAS), a first for the industry that is unique to the Torrance station. The HVAS wireless vehicle-recognition system allows station-to-vehicle recognition to facilitate quick and convenient fueling for customers.
