Vehicle Program to Build Awareness About the Benefits of Hydrogen Fuel and Its Influence on the Automotive Market

PRESS RELEASE

Nuvera Fuel Cells has inaugurated a program with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS) in which Nuvera will operate and maintain two Toyota Advanced Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles (FCHV-adv) at its headquarters in Billerica, Massachusetts.

The two-year program is the first of its kind in Massachusetts and will help build awareness of fuel cell technology, the benefits of hydrogen as a clean fuel, and the development of hydrogen infrastructure in the Northeast.

Nuvera will use the program as a way to engage with government officials, policy-makers and the general public about the importance of hydrogen-powered cars and of the supporting hydrogen infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth in the region and for meeting the region’s zero-emissions vehicle mandates.

“This program with Toyota kicks off the next chapter in Nuvera’s proud history of bringing innovative, high-efficiency clean energy solutions to market,” said Prabhu Rao, Vice President of Commercial Operations at Nuvera. “This program is a great way for Toyota and Nuvera to connect with the leaders, citizens and businesses of Massachusetts on the topic of hydrogen fuel cell cars and the benefits they afford the economy and environment.”

“Toyota’s vehicle demonstration program gives policy makers, local authorities and the general public in Massachusetts a chance to become familiar with fuel cell vehicles  prior to market introduction,” said Kevin Kinnaw, National Manager for Regulatory Affairs at Toyota Motor Sales, USA. “The program also highlights the infrastructure side of the equation. With its on-site hydrogen generation appliance, Nuvera has developed a practical refueling solution that could have far-reaching consequences for the commercial success of zero-emission fuel cell vehicles.”

The cars will be refueled using Nuvera’s PowerTap hydrogen generation and refueling equipment located at the company’s Billerica headquarters. PowerTap safely generates high-purity hydrogen fuel per day from water and natural gas.

PowerTap units are already deployed in industrial settings by material handling professionals to produce hydrogen for fueling fuel cell forklift fleets. PowerTap’s acceptance in the industrial market brings the technology one step closer to being deployed at gas stations as part of the much anticipated hydrogen infrastructure development in New England and the United States.

The U.S. is the world leader in fuel cell lift truck deployments. This is according to Fuel Cells 2000, an independent, non-profit organization for the advancement of fuel cells and hydrogen technology (www.fuelcells.org). In their report, “The Business Case for Fuel Cells 2012,” Fuel Cells 2000 researched nationally recognizable companies and corporations that are deploying or demonstrating fuel cells.

When talking to material handling professionals about fuel cell technology and hydrogen infrastructure, a common question asked is: What companies are actually using this technology? Fuel cells and on-site hydrogen generation are real solutions that are available today for companies looking to increase their warehouse productivity and lower their operational costs. Early adopters of fuel cell technology are already seeing the benefits: longer run times, no voltage sag, faster refills, no space needed for battery storage or swapping, and zero-emissions.

So who are the top fuel cell lift truck customers in the U.S.? According to Fuel Cells 2000’s research, the following companies are leading the way with their deployments of fuel cell forklifts.

1. Sysco - 700+ forklifts at 7 sites
2. Walmart - 509 forklifts at 3 sites
3. Proctor & Gamble - 340 forklifts at 4 sites
4. Central Grocers - 234 forklifts at 1 site
5. BMW - 230+ forklifts at 1 site
6. WinCo Foods - 200+ forklifts at 1 site
7. Kroger - 161 forklifts at 1 site
8. Lowe’s - 161 forklifts at 1 site
9. Wegmans - 140+ forklifts at 1 site
10. Coca-Cola - 96 forklifts at 2 sites

To learn more about how these particular companies are using fuel cell forklifts, please read the entire “Business Case for Fuel Cells 2012″ Report on Fuel Cell 2000’s website (www.fuelcells.org).

Talk to someone at Nuvera today about how your company can lower your operational costs and increase productivity by deploying fuel cell forklifts and on-site hydrogen infrastructure. Email me at larmstrong@nuvera.com.

Lauren Armstrong, Marketing
larmstrong@nuvera.com

Women account for less than twenty percent of the workforce in science, math and engineering fields. Laura Kozel, Director of Field Service at Nuvera Fuel Cells is part of a growing league of women who strive to make a difference in the lives of girls in hopes to increase that number one day.

That’s where Project W.I.S.E. comes in. W.I.S.E. stands for “Women in Science and Engineering”. It is a program that was started to address the imbalance of women in technology careers. The program aims to inspire and educate middle school girls with a personal and hands-on experience that could lead to a career in a math and/or science field.  At the same time, the program encourages these girls to continue enrolling in math and science courses in high school. Project W.I.S.E. is organized through the Collaborative for Math and Science Education at Salem State College.  The collaborative is dedicated to linking students, teachers and industry representatives for the improvement of math and science education for today’s changing work environment.

Tuesday, March 12^th was the W.I.S.E. Career Day at Salem State College. Each girl experienced presentations given by professional women who work in math and/or science areas.  The careers represented run the full gamut from engineering on the ‘Big Dig’ in Boston to working with hydrogen fuel cell technology at Nuvera Fuel Cells.

Laura Kozel’s workshop covered hydrogen and fuel cells. In addition to learning about engineering, they saw the Nuvera’s Toyota FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) which was on display for everyone at the event to see.

“They are all hydrogen supporters now!” exclaimed Laura.

Since the inception of W.I.S.E. in 1990, thousands of young girls from the North Shore from sixth to eighth grade have participated in the W.I.S.E. program. The girls have been provided with both role models and insight into a wide variety of science and math related careers.  Laura Kozel was one of the founders of the W.I.S.E. program and continues to participate today.

It’s an exciting time in the automotive industry. That excitement is doubled for those of us in the hydrogen and fuel cell industry. Word has gotten out that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will soon launch a campaign called H2USA that will give hydrogen and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) a well-deserved boost.

Those who have been following the progress of FCEV adoption know that there have been some bumps in the road. Hydrogen fuel cells, encouraged by President George W. Bush, lost favor to plug-in battery electric vehicles after President Obama took office in 2009. Energy Secretary Steven Chu questioned the merits of hydrogen-powered cars and cut funding for fuel cell research, while President Obama was setting a goal of having 1 million battery electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

In 2012, Secretary Chu made headlines when he announced he had changed his view on hydrogen as a transportation fuel. According to the Secretary, the economics behind hydrogen and fuel cells had changed dramatically in the last few years. The abundance and low cost of natural gas, as well as technological developments in fuel cell technology, were the major causes for his change of perspective. Secretary Chu also cited the faster fueling time of fuel cell electric vehicles.

The government’s support of our industry helped make 2012 an important year for Nuvera Fuel Cells and other hydrogen fuel cell companies. And with the announcement from DOE about H2USA, 2013 is about to make an even larger impact. Stay tuned!

Read the entire article here: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130304/OEM06/303049971/doe-plans-modest-push-for-fuel-cells#axzz2MgxWIgMe

There are perks to working at a company that specializes in hydrogen and fuel cell technology. Last week Tim Briggs, Platform Leader of the PowerTap™ Hydrogen Systems at Nuvera Fuel Cells, experienced his latest one - driving Toyota’s Highlander Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle – Advanced (FCHV-adv).

Was this your first experience driving a fuel cell car? Where did you go?

On February 19th I had the opportunity to drive a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle for the first time. It was an exciting experience as I drove Toyota’s FCHV-adv to my alma mater, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, for a joint meeting on fuel cell powered cars organized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Worcester Chapters. With a few stops along the way I end up totaling 104 miles round trip. When I left Nuvera’s headquarters I had roughly half a tank of hydrogen. Since the FCHV-adv has a 325 mile range I knew I wouldn’t have an issue making it there and back.

Overall, how was your experience?

The driving experience was great! The car was quiet and the interface on this vehicle was virtually identical to that used on other modern vehicles (with the exception of kg of hydrogen vs. gallons of gas on the display), which made it very easy to use. I also enjoyed following the display showing when the fuel cell was charging the battery and how I could increase energy efficiency by the way I drove.

Did you have any expectations before driving the car?

I was curious how the fuel cell car would perform on the highway (at least compared to my own vehicle). It turned out that the fuel cell vehicle performed equally well on the highway and I was pleasantly surprised by the acceleration on the on ramps.

Were you nervous about driving the car?

I was not at all nervous about driving the vehicle (other than not wanting to get any dings or scratches on the car). During my five years at Nuvera, I have become very educated about hydrogen and know the truth as well as the misconceptions that exist around hydrogen’s safety. I believe this vehicle is, at a minimum, as safe as a gasoline powered vehicle and understand the various safety mechanisms that are in place to make this a safe product.

Additional comments about the experience?

I had a sense of pride knowing the vehicle was powered with hydrogen that was generated and dispensed at Nuvera Fuel Cells’ Billerica facility using the PowerTap generator. It’s very exciting to be driving around in our future mode of transportation. Having the vehicle on the road hopefully makes others realize that the future is probably closer than we think!