L.A. Panel Talks About Fueling Current and Future Green Vehicles

L.A. Panel Talks About Fueling Current and Future Green Vehicles

By John O'Dell April 14, 2010

We still haven't decided in this country which of the various alternatives to conventional gasoline combustion engines will power the vehicles of the future, but fuel providers seem to be lining up to make sure that most bases are covered.

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Hydrogen fuel isn't commonplace, but stations that can fill hydrogen fuel cell vehicles such as this Chevrolet Equinox are coming, experts say.

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A panel of experts from three key alternative fuel industries gathered in Los Angeles at a Motor Press Guild event Tuesday to offer insights on the emerging U.S. alt-fuel infrastructure.  They focused on electricity, hydrogen and natural gas - fuels with potential for major impact in the U.S.

Hydrogen Explosion

Tim Brown, from the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California at Irvine, started the discussion with this eye-opening tidbit from Europe: Germany has committed $2 billion over the next 10 years for hydrogen infrastructure, with a stated goal of 1,000 fueling stations in the country by just 2017.

The German plan is supported by a big group of major automotive manufacturers who all have signed a letter of understanding that they will commercially produce fuel cell vehicles by 2015 - many of them destined for the U.S. 

The group includes Mercedes-Benz, Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai/Kia and Nissan. All except Ford also are members of the California Fuel Cell Partnership.

Brown said the companies jointly plan to put more than 40,000 fuel cell vehicles into the Southern California market alone by 2025.

Working on that promise, researchers at UC Irvine have identified key locations in the area that might best support the hydrogen fueling stations to service the new fleet - the hunt still is on, though, to find fuel companies willing to foot the bills to build those stations

Charging Ahead

The pending introduction of the Nissan Leaf battery-electric hatchback is the strongest indication yet that EVs may soon go mainstream. As one of the largest of the EV infrastructure players, AeroVironment (AV) is right in the thick of it.

AV's Paul Glenney said the company is working closely with Nissan and was named by them as a preferred supplier for residential charging systems. 

In the larger EV picture, AV has a suite of products it is rolling out to support expected growth of the EV market.

One of the key product goals is a commercial fast charger that can "fill" a depleted battery pack in as little as 15 minutes, said Glenney.

The company believes that more than 90 percent of EV charging will be done at home, though, and also is working with utility companies on new home charging systems that can take advantage of the "smart grid," allowing automated charging scenarios during off-peak hours. 

Glenney said that the cost for home charging systems currently runs about $2,200 (including addition of 220V power). No word on the cost of "smart grid" models, but he noted that EV charging is moving toward universal standards in this country which will simplify vehicle and charging system manufacturing.

Rollout plans for U.S. charging infrastructure currently favor the same coastal cities and southern states where EVs will first be rolled out across the country, he said.

When asked about the potential for solar charging, Glenney said AV believes it currently is "an insufficient solution" when used on a small scale - individual public chargers, for example.

But he said solar charging could be viable for multiple vehicle applications in covered carports or other large facilities where relatively large solar arrays could be installed.

CNG Scenario

Southern California Gas Company's Steve Anthony said that 98 percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. comes from domestic supplies. Zeroing in on his territory, he noted there are currently 99 public refueling sites in Southern California.  

Home natural gas refueling systems have been available in the U.S., but with a $6,000 installed price there have been few takers, the vast majority on CNG vehicle owners taking their chances with public stations.

The utility is upgrading some if its California stations for faster operation and will be adding three or four stations in Southern California this year, said Anthony.

Brad Nelson, Contributor

John O'Dell:  is an AutoObserver Senior Editor. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.