Arizona’s First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Tours State

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070227005234&newsLang=en

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ECOtality, Inc. (OTC BB: ETLY), a technology innovator that addresses the global energy challenge by developing and commercializing eco-friendly technologies, today brings the first hydrogen fuel cell bus to Arizona. The ECObus is the result of a partnership with Arizona Public Service (APS) company, and will begin its tour of Arizona at today’s Clean Cities Coalition event at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza. During its statewide tour, the public is invited to step onto the zero-emission mobile learning center and experience hydrogen fuel cell technology.

As the state’s first hydrogen-powered bus, the ECObus serves as a mobile classroom for hydrogen fuel cell technology. Complete with an audio visual system and interactive workstations, the ECObus is equipped to educate the community – from school children to civic decision makers – about hydrogen’s potential as an alternative to carbon fuel-burning vehicles. Compressed hydrogen fuel stored at APS Hydrogen Park will power the bus throughout the tour.

”APS is committed to supporting natural and clean energy development for the state of Arizona. In addition, this partnership presents a good opportunity to further educate students and the public about renewable energy,” said Peter Johnston, manager, technology development, APS.

“The launch of ECOtality’s ECObus is an important milestone for Arizona and is helping the state remain a leader in clean, alternative fuel use,” said Bill Sheaffer, executive director, Valley of the Sun Clean Cities Coalition. “We’re proud to be working with organizations like ECOtality and APS, whose commitments to clean technologies significantly impact our environment for the better and serve as an example for communities worldwide.”

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I don't think so.

Automobiles were expensive rich man's toys (and a menace to the peace) when they first went on the road in the 1890's

No one but the Ultra Rich could afford them.

What happened to make them affordable to the mases????

(mass production).

The first commercial PV cells were exorbitantly expensive back in the 50's and early 60's. Since the early eighties, PV module prices have declined dramatically (>80% and dropping).

What happened to make them affordable to the mases????

(mass production)

When H2 buses enter mass production (and they will), prices will decline and they will be competitive with gasoline powered vehicles (and sooner than the naysayers think)...

They've been there my whole life. The buses use overhead trolly lines but they climb hills that diesel bues never could and are way more reliable. Even with the maintenance of the trolley lines they are cheaper to run also because the buses are easy to maintain.

Combining pantograph's with flywheels or batteries would be far cheaper than hydrogen for buses. It's existing, proven, cheap technology that costs maybe 1/12th the cost of a hydrogen bus. If the ultimate goal is to transport passengers cheaply with electricity we have systems that do that.

An electric car plugs into the dryer outlet. No hydrogen station needed.

I think that some people support hydrogen in order to make money producing an infrastructure that we don't need.

and, where long travel distances are required, batteries have their limitations.

biofuel and H2 buses are the best options here...

...and, unlike ethanol or biodiesel, you don't need to use "food" to produce H2 from H2O - PV and wind power can do that.

In 1910 in California you could take a trolley from Chico or Stockton to the Berkely Pier where you could catch a ferry into San Francisco. Another rail line ran from Sausalito to Cazedero and a third went down the peninsula to San Jose and beyond. The Key line covered the East Bay, Berkely, Oakland, Richmond down to Cupertino and east to Walnut Creek. Public transit to these areas is still not as good as it was in the 1910 to 1930 period. I've seen the schedules.

The Los Angeles area which was then largely rural had the Red Cars which would take you most anywhere you wanted to go.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~rajvdb/lra/e_htm/e_hs.htm

In the East Coast you could travel by trolly from Boston to Atlanta if you were willing to deal with the schedules and travel speed. One man did it.

here's some:http://www.crisny.org/not-for-profit/railroad/capdist.htm

Many were located in rural areas - but the vast area of rural Maine was not served by trolleys (trains, yes - trolleys, no).

Using existing power grids to electrolyze water to H2 at "filling stations" in rural areas would be less expensive and serve a wider area than trolley lines.

(note: I would very much like to see a renaissance in electric trolley lines, but they can't serve everyone in rural America)

Detroit. My uncle would take it from Brooklyn to Philly all the time. It took a while but he would get there.

:evilgrin:

uses lots of electricity!!!!!!!!!!!

He promotes alternative energy, so by definition he's an environmental whacko and hypocrite, right? And the Hummer drivers with their trust funds are pure as the driven snow.