Hydrogen Road Tour Kicks Off, Refuels at First Hydrogen Refueling Station in MA

Billerica, MA, August 11, 2008 – Today, a host of vehicles powered by hydrogen set off for an unprecedented trip across the country. The Hydrogen Road Tour, presented by the California Fuel Cell Partnership, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy and National Hydrogen Association, will visit 31 cities in 18 states over 13 days, giving people across America a chance to interact with the vehicles and see how they are fueled.

The caravan of hydrogen-powered vehicles, from auto makers BMW, Daimler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, arrived at Nuvera's headquarters in Billerica at noon today to refuel from the PowerTap hydrogen generation and dispensing system.

This station is the first hydrogen refueling station in Massachusetts, and was unveiled at the event by Research and Innovative Technology Deputy Administrator (RITA) Cheryl McQueary, June Black, Lawrence Regional Coordinator for Representative Niki Tsongas, Catherine Dunwoody of the California Fuel Cell Partnership and Roberto Cordaro, CEO of Nuvera Fuel Cells.

“Nuvera is dedicated to bringing cost-effective hydrogen solutions to the public,” commented Roberto Cordaro, CEO of Nuvera Fuel Cells. “This refueling station will enable the material handling industry today, and bring us one step closer to achieving energy independence, while reducing green house gas emissions, both for Massachusetts and the Nation.”

“The fuel cell vehicles in the caravan will drive roughly 20,000 combined miles and use domestically produced hydrogen to reach Los Angeles on August 23rd,” stated CaFCP’s executive director, Catherine Dunwoody. “During this trip, the vehicles will emit zero pollutants.”

Fuel cell vehicles are electric vehicles that create electricity from hydrogen stored on board the vehicle. FCVs are 2-3 times more efficient than a gasoline vehicle, and more efficient than a hybrid vehicle. The only tailpipe emission is water vapor. According to well-to-wheels studies, when hydrogen from natural gas is used in a FCV, greenhouse gas emissions are about 55% less than a comparable conventional vehicle. When the hydrogen is made from renewable sources, such as water or biomass, the GHGs are zero.

The Hydrogen Road Tour’s goal is to showcase the progress that industry and government have made together, and emphasize the next steps to commercialization even as R&D continues. Some automakers are taking the first steps to market by leasing a limited number of FCVs in selected areas. Many expect to see commercial roll-out in the 2015-2020 time frame.

For a complete itinerary of stops, please visit http://www.hydrogenroadtour.com.”

Contact
Danielle Andre
Marketing Communications Specialist
Nuvera Fuel Cells
Tel: +1-617-245-7571
Fax: +1-617-245-7511
Email: DAndre@nuvera.com