2008 - 2012: Building Market Foundations

Fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen have the potential to change the world. These cars and buses directly address issues of air quality, energy independence and sustainability. Plus, fuel cell vehicles will offer the high performance and reliability that Californians—and the world—expect.

Bringing fuel cell vehicles to market takes more than building fueling stations and putting vehicles in the showroom. It requires preparing communities to host stations and service facilities, as well as readying people to ride the buses, drive the cars and use the fuel.

Phase III of the California Fuel Cell Partnership will build the foundation for a fuel cell vehicle marketplace. This next phase will span the years 2008 to 2012, a period that one CaFCP member calls “the rehearsal for commercial.” More fuel cell passenger cars and buses will be on the roads in Northern and Southern California, fueling at networks of hydrogen stations.

This will be a period during which CaFCP members will use collaborative efforts and a collective voice to make a smooth transition from demonstration programs to commercial products.

Phase III: Building Market Foundations
For people to accept any new product, it must be safe, convenient, familiar and easy to use. In the coming years, CaFCP members will work together to prove and communicate that fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel meet these requirements.

In Phase III, CaFCP will have four overarching goals that build the market foundation.

Identify and address market opportunities and challenges. When people consider a new product, they weigh its benefits against the price, inconvenience or effort that the change requires. To adopt fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel, consumers must clearly see all of the advantages—performance, ease of use, energy efficiency and environmental benefits. Collaboratively, CaFCP can address the challenges and prove the benefits to future consumers.

Promote a safe, customer-friendly refueling experience. Fueling with a gaseous fuel is different than fueling with a liquid, and hydrogen has different properties than gasoline and diesel. During Phase III, more people will have access to hydrogen fuel as new stations are built and existing stations opened to the public. Station owners will learn how to provide fuel in a manner that is safe, convenient and familiar for customers. Equally important during this phase is helping local permitting agencies understand safety systems and the codes and standards that are still developing.

Work toward a common fuel delivery architecture. Hydrogen fueling stations can be constructed in several different ways, each taking advantage of locally available resources. Some stations produce hydrogen on-site. Others have fuel delivered by truck or pipeline. Because stations can be different, automakers must design vehicles that can refuel at every station, and station builders need to accommodate every vehicle. To do so, CaFCP members will promote a network of stations that let fuel cell vehicle drivers choose from several stations instead of always refilling at “home base.”

Provide information and hands-on experience. CaFCP provides a unified voice on issues that confront all members, such as reaching community leaders, educating emergency responders and teaching the public how to use a hydrogen fuel dispenser. As more people ride fuel cell buses and drive fuel cell cars, CaFCP will keep pace with the growing demand for information.

Future Sustainability
Fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel provide a sustainable transportation choice for the future. By offering zero-tailpipe emissions, fuel cell cars and buses can significantly reduce local air pollutants and greenhouse gases, improve air quality and protect against climate change. Since hydrogen can be made from a diverse mix of traditional and renewable energy sources, energy security can dramatically increase in California and across the nation.

As we build a market foundation, CaFCP members will continue to improve vehicle driving range, fuel cell durability and station access. The future challenge is to make the fuel infrastructure sustainable by producing hydrogen from renewable sources and maximizing efficiency through energy stations that produce stationary heat and power. CaFCP members are committed to building vehicles and an infrastructure that will offer energy independence.

For more information, please visit www.cafcp.org.