SACRAMENTO, CA - General Motors' R&D chief and hydrogen evangelist is issuing a clarion call: The fuel cell cars are coming, it's time for government and energy providers to help pony up for the infrastructure.

In prepared comments to the National Hydrogen Association, Larry Burns, GM's vice president of Research and Development, says with the steady advancement of automotive fuel cell programs there is no unsurmountable technical challenge keeping carmakers from producing fuel cell models in large numbers during the next decade, and challenges government and energy companies to commit to concrete infrastructure investments to make the fuel available in metropolitan areas.

"We have now reached a point where the energy industry and governments must pick up their pace so we can continue to advance in a timely manner," Burns will tell the NHA during its annual conference here. "They must quickly join our caravan, positioning for their share of the opportunity and carrying their share of the risk and burden. The actions these stakeholders take right now will determine whether, and how soon, our world realizes the exciting and important benefits of automotive fuel cell technology."

In an interview with Hydrogen Forecast, Burns gives petroleum companies a "mixed" report card when it comes to investing in hydrogen infrastructure.

"For the class Deployment 101 it's an 'F,' or a fairer grade would be an 'I' - incomplete," he says, noting that despite the commitments of some energy providers, several have failed to follow through with providing pressurized hydrogen pumps, which typically cost nearly $1 million to build and maintain.

GM is now testing its fifth-generation stack on dynamometers and plans to begin vehicle testing soon. The stack is designed for lower cost production compared to the hand-built powerplants currently in use.  And while Burns says GM will continue to fund research into fuel cell technology, a lack of infrastructure will persist in hobbling the industry's plans for mass production.

"Unless the automakers see a willingness to put these (hydrogen) stations in place, why would we build 10,000 of them?" he says, noting that 40 hydrogen stations - or roughly a $40 million investment, would be enough to power a sizeable fuel cell vehicle fleet in the greater Los Angeles area . 

GM is now gathering driver feedback on its fourth-generation fuel cell stack in a 100-vehicle fleet on loan to households and VIPs. More than 1,500 people have driven the vehicles in GM's "Project Driveway" fleet, which lends the fuel cell-equipped Chevrolet Equinoxes to everyday drivers and corporate fleets for testing and evaluation, in addition to day-to-day driving.

Just 10 hydrogen refueling stations are available to recipients for Project Driveway: Five in California – including one created at the University of California-Irvine, four in New York state and one in Washington, DC. All stations provide hydrogen pressurized at 700 bar. With the exception of UC Irvine, GM is funding or co-funding along with Shell Hydrogen, all of the 10 stations.

Burns notes that even after providing energy companies with three years advanced notice about the Project Driveway program, the automaker is still subsidizing mobile hydrogen fueling units to keep the vehicles on the road due to the lagging infrastructure.

While Honda, Toyota and Daimler all have committed to making FCVs a portion of their vehicle fleet in the next decade, Burns says the industry cannot advance the fuel cell vehicles "solely on our own."

"To reach a market 'tipping point,' our customers must have safe and convenient access to affordable hydrogen," he says. "This means the energy industry and governments must join the auto industry in our journey to produce and sell fuel cell vehicles in mass volume."

GM has floated estimates that as much of 40 billion kg of hydrogen already produced globally could power 130 million fuel cell vehicles. By GM’s math, it will take a $10 billion to $15 billion investment to build a network of hydrogen stations within two miles of the top 100 urban areas of the US. (That’s based on the assumption that 480 stations split evenly between New York and LA had already been created.)

On the same day Congress grilled oil executives about high profits amid record gasoline prices, Burns stresses that government mandates can't be the sole answer to creating the hydrogen infrastructure.

"They can create ZEV (zero-emission vehicle) mandates until they're blue in the face," Burns says, referring to regulations from Califorina's Air Resources Board. "But all of us must come together ... no one enity can do it alone."

The Burns' keynote speech is likely to cause a stir at the conference and may amp up the pressure on energy companies, some of which advertise hydrogen as an alternative energy worth pursuing and bringing to market.

Check Hydrogen Forecast for additional coverage of the NHA conference.

APRIL 2008