Governor
Announces Lease of State's First Hydrogen Vehicle
By Peter R.
Palmieri
Capital News Service
Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004
ANNAPOLIS - With energy prices high and the federal government funding
alternative fuel research, Maryland took delivery Wednesday
on the state's first hydrogen-fueled car.
The state hopes the bright blue HydroGen3 minivan,
manufactured by and leased from General Motors, will help it
attract some of those federal dollars. The car will be
evaluated over the next year for its success in reducing
reliance on conventional fuels.
The van likely will be used by the Maryland Department of
Human Resources in Prince George's County, said Michael T.
Richard, director of the Maryland Energy Administration.
A GM engineer will accompany the vehicle's driver during
the one-year operation.
GM electrical engineer Bryan Essig took Gov. Robert L.
Ehrlich for a spin in the state's new ride.
"Maryland better get used to this. This is the future,"
Ehrlich said.
The vehicle is not available to the public, and
Maryland's lease is part of its testing process, GM said.
Neither GM nor state representatives could say what the cost
of the yearlong lease will be.
The announcement comes at a time when gas prices have
reached an all-time high and remain elevated. The state has
also seen an increase in consumer purchase of hybrid cars in
the last year.
Using a hybrid car also has something to do with
President Bush's $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative. The
state is looking to position itself to benefit from the
expected job growth and economic opportunities spawned by
the president's initiative, said Maryland Energy
Administration Chief of Staff Michael Li.
"As a state, we look at short-term solutions to
transportation obstacles," Li said. "This is an immediate
short-term solution to reduce petroleum consumption."
Gas prices stood at an average of $1.85 in Maryland as of
Tuesday, up from $1.68 a year ago, AAA spokeswoman Amanda
Knittle said. Prices peaked June 3 at $2.05.
Prince George's County was chosen to host the car because
it will have to be refueled daily and the only refueling
station is in Ft. Belvoir in Northern Virginia.
Although the vehicle is the first of its kind to be used
by a Maryland state agency, energy-efficient cars are
nothing new to the state.
The state uses 120 compressed natural gas vehicles in its
fleet, said Tim Shepherd, from the Maryland Department of
the Environment.
Richard said he uses an ethanol-fueled vehicle for his
MEA job.
Consumers, too, are buying into alternative fuel
vehicles.
As of Tuesday, 3,987 hybrid cars were registered by the
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. And, from June 30,
2003, to June 30, 2004, hybrid registrations increased by
716, spokesman Jeff Tosi said.
This car is a step above hybrid cars, but hybrids will
serve as a bridge to get to hydrogen vehicles, GM Vice
President of Government Relations Ken Cole said.
Some of the state's environmental activists are
supportive of the state's willingness to try out the novel
car.
"We support any effort the state may have" to bring more
clean cars to the state, MaryPIRG field organizer Chris Fick
said. "Our No. 1 priority this winter is to get the Clean
Cars Act (passed), so we hope they find hybrid vehicles are
extremely efficient and good for the environment."
The act would raise automobile emissions standards.
The GM engineer is being assigned to the operation to
make sure there are no problems for the driver. The
HydroGen3 looks like any normal car, but operates
differently under the hood. Oxygen in regular air and
hydrogen are mixed within a stack of fuel cells. The
reaction between the elements creates electricity, which
powers the car. Water is the only waste product the engine
produces.
GM leased a similar vehicle to Washington, D.C., where it
was used to look for dead trees, and FedEx used the vehicle
in Japan.
Copyright © 2004, 2005 and 2006 University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism
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