GreenBriefs: Hawaiian Hy(drogen); BYD Drops New EV; BWM's Clean, Green Expansion
By John O'Dell December 8, 2010General Motors and The Gas Co. (TGC), which in May announced a partnership to develop a hydrogen-fueling infrastructure throughout Hawaii, have enlisted another 10 companies and public entities and set a goal of building as many as 25 hydrogen stations on the islands by 2015 to encourage fuel-cell vehicle use.
The U.S. Energy Department, Hawaii's Business, Economic Development and Tourism Department, FuelCell Energy, Aloha Petroleum, Louis Berger Group, the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Force's Pacific Units, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the County of Hawaii, University of California Irvine and the University of Hawaii will work with GM and TGC at building out the hydrogen-fueling infrastructure.
The plan is part of Hawaii's effort to cut petroleum use by 70 percent over the next two decades.
GM is involved, of course, because it is now testing a fuel cell-electric vehicle and plans to be selllng (or leasing) a model by 2015.
Blackout: Chinese automaker BYD says it will pull the plug on plans to build a retail model of the F3e electric car it has been displaying as a production prototype at auto shows since 2006.
The company, which hasn't had much luck with its other EV - the E6, only 54 sold nationwide in 10 months - as Chinese consumers find battery-electric cars too expensive and too exotic - says it will wait at least a few more years before trying again and will instead concentrate on gas-electric hybrid vehicles.
One problem with selling EVs in China, the company says is that despite big incentives and government encouragement, there's little in the way of public charging infrastructure in a country where private garages are rare.
Powering Up: BMW says it will hire 2,600 new workers by the end of next year to help expand its electric drive and clean vehicles development and manufacturing capabilities.
The automaker will be adding hybrids, electric vehicles and cleaner conventional engines to its lineup to meet European and U.As. demands for lower greenhouse gas emissions.
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