Like electric vehicles, FCVs have ground fault indication systems, making it extremely difficult for a person to complete a circuit and be shocked. When the ground fault system (called a safety interlock system by some vehicle manufacturers) detects that the vehicle’s ground and battery are no longer insulated, a relay in the battery pack box opens to isolate high voltage in the vehicle electrical storage (either high voltage batteries or ultracapacitors), essentially shutting down the system.

For hydrogen handling, safe FCV design maintains two objectives:

1. Locking the high pressure hydrogen in the safest place, inside onboard vehicle storage tanks, during all non-fire vehicle safety incidents (or when the vehicle is off) – by employing in-tank solenoids that default to a closed position

2. Evacuating all the high pressure hydrogen quickly under conditions where it is unsafe to store, such as during fires - by employing a tank-integrated temperature activated pressure relief device (PRD/TRD)

Modern PRD/TRDs, integrated into all hydrogen tanks mounted on light-duty FCVs and FC buses, are the result of decades of learning from the CNG vehicle tank industry and consensus-based standards development organizations such as the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) and CSA America. The PRD/TRD consists primarily of a fusible metal plug made of material engineered to melt at a certain temperature (108 °C for 350 bar tanks). Design characteristics, such as the use of a low melting temperature metal, produce PRD/TRDs that open under high temperature conditions, such as a fire engulfing the tank, during which the fusible plug melts causing the PRD/TRD to open and rapidly release the contents of the tank.

The on-board hydrogen storage tanks are extremely strong, carbon-fiber wrapped tanks. Similar to CNG tanks, hydrogen tanks are put through a battery of extreme tests, including bonfire, pressure cycling, impact, burst and gunfire tests. The tanks must meet strict manufacturer guidelines and applicable DOT criteria for acceptable use on public roads. In addition, each tank is equipped with a thermally activated pressure relief device (PRD/TRD) that provides a controlled release of the tank contents if tank temperature, and therefore pressure, exceed allowable thresholds.

Unlike natural gas, which usually contains mercaptan, hydrogen cannot be colorized or odorized. Because hydrogen is such a small molecule and is so buoyant, no other substance can move and diffuse with hydrogen to effectively indicate a leak. In other words, by the time you smelled the odorant, the hydrogen might have already moved to another location and/or collected in concentrations above the lower flammability limit.

Yes. CaFCPCalifornia Fuel Cell Partnership vehicle manufacturer members subject fuel cell vehicle models to extensive safety testing prior to releasing them on public roads. Current testing employs both destructive and non-destructive evaluations and occurs at the component, system, and vehicle level.

It's possible, but not practical. Early in CaFCPCalifornia Fuel Cell Partnership's history, some automakers looked at reforming gasoline or methanol into hydrogen onboard the vehicles. Both processes worked, but added weight, complexity and cost to the vehicle. It's easier and more cost effective to produce the fuel at a central location.

All of our members are actively involved with fuel cell vehicle programs in the state of California. Full members provide vehicles, fueling stations or fuel cell technology. Associate members provide related technology, expertise and practical experience. We do not actively seek new members.

For business opportunities, we recommend participating in the California Hydrogen Business Council.

CaFCPCalifornia Fuel Cell Partnership is our members. The automakers, energy companies, technology companies and government agencies jointly identify projects that need to happen in concert to move development forward. Staff from member organizations execute the project with the support of the CaFCP staff. Public outreach and fire fighter training are two of the ongoing activities. Past projects include building a consensus vision of vehicle/station rollout over the next five years, suggesting a hydrogen quality level for pending regulation and creating a database of station information to provide to FCV drivers.

All new technologies take many years to come to market. At the California Fuel Cell Partnership, our members work together on the barriers that are common to us all. For example, before selling hydrogen from a dispenser, the State of California has to create and enforce regulations and standards to ensure that consumers get what they pay for. By working together, we can streamline that process from years to months.

Most automakers have indentified the people for their current demonstration programs, but we suggest checking our Demonstration page updates. We invite you to come out for a test drive or ride, though. See CaFCPCalifornia Fuel Cell Partnership's website calendar for dates and locations of Ride&Drive events. In addition, we have public tours of our West Sacramento headquarters on the fourth Friday of every month at 1:00pm. Register for Public Tour

Fuel cell vehicles won’t be for sale for several years. When they are, you will be able to choose a make and model and pay a cost comparable to a hybrid version of the same vehicle. The Department of Energy has a target price for the fuel of $3-4/gge gasoline gallon equivalent (gallon gas equivalent.) Fuel cell vehicles get at least twice as many miles to the gge as a conventional vehicle. When they are for sale, the vehicles will go at least 300 miles on a tank of fuel, just as convention vehicles do today.

For more information read the Department of Energy’s targets for fuel cells and hydrogen.

Every fuel requires more energy to make than it yields, and all fuels create some pollution. A number of governments and universities have conducted well-to-wheels studies, which compare varies fuel pathways and vehicle types. Hydrogen produced from natural gas and used in a fuel cell vehicle is twice as efficient and 55% cleaner than gasoline through a conventional vehicles.

For more information visit the Well-to-Wheels page on our web site.

Like all fuels, hydrogen is a safe fuel when handled properly. For more than 50 years, hydrogen has been produced and used for commercial and industrial purposes with an exemplary safety record. Like all fuels, hydrogen has high energy content and must be handled with care. CaFCP’s members are building fuel cell vehicles and fueling stations that meet or exceed safety standards. In addition, our members are defining new safety measures.

Like gasoline and other fuels, hydrogen is flammable. Unlike conventional fuels, it is very buoyant. With proper ventilation, hydrogen dissipates rapidly into the air, greatly reducing the chance of fire. Hydrogen is non-toxic, so if released it does not present a health hazard to humans and its effect on the environment is benign.

For more information read "The Ten Things you Didn't Know About Hydrogen"

To reach California’s goals of improved air quality, reduced greenhouse gasA gas in Earth's atmosphere that traps heat and can contribute to global warming. Carbon dioxide and methane are two GHGs. emissions and less dependence on petroleum, we need electric vehicles. But environmental goals have to be weighed with consumer expectations for vehicles with excellent performance, durability and comfort. FCVs provide people with zero-emission vehicles that fit their lifestyles. They are electric vehicles that don’t require compromises.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and is found in water, natural gas and many other sources. It bonds with other elements to form commonly known molecules such as water, methane (natural gas) and methanol. Hydrogen is “produced” by unlocking the chemical bonds in the molecules that form these substances. The water molecule (H20), for example, consists of two hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom.

One way to produce hydrogen is to break water apart through electrolysis. In this process, electricity is used in the presence of a catalyst to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in the water. When using renewable electricity it can be a zero CO2 emission process.  Another approach is to liberate the hydrogen by "reforming" fuels such as natural gas or methanol. Even when using natural gas, well-to-wheel CO2 emissions are about half of that from a gasoline vehicle.

Currently, our members are exploring many options for producing hydrogen. By making hydrogen from many difference sources, every region of the world can produce its own fuel, which is good for the environment and the local economy.

For more information visit the Hydrogen Pathways page.

Fuel cells and batteries are similar because they use a chemical reaction to provide electricity. A battery stores the chemical reactants, usually metal compounds like lithium, zinc or manganese. Once used up, you must recharge or throw away the battery. A fuel cell actually creates electricity through reactants (hydrogen and oxygen) stored externally. The fuel cell will produce electricity as long as it has a fuel supply. In short, a fuel cell vehicle is refueled instead of recharged.

Vehicles use a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, which creates electricity from a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells are about 68% efficient, compared to about 19% efficiency of internal combustion engines. The only emission from a fuel cell us water vapor.

For more information about different types of fuel cells visit the US Fuel Cell Council.

To learn more about how fuel cells work download CaFCP's How it Works booklet.

The best way to interview someone is to attend our monthly Public Tour. If that’s not possible, the student can send an email with very specific information to info@cafcp.org. Please describe your project and exactly what type of information you need from an interview.

We sometimes have short internships available for college students. Announcements are posted on our website. Most of our interns are engineering graduate students. We do not have opportunities for completing community service at CaFCPCalifornia Fuel Cell Partnership.

We cannot provide sponsorships. The Fuel Cells 2000 database provides extensive information about programs that provide funding for fuel cell educational activities. http://www.fuelcells.org/

Depending on scheduling, we can sometimes visit schools in the Sacramento and Los Angeles areas. Please ask permission from your school to bring the vehicles to the campus during school hours. If the district agrees, then contact Juan Contreras to see if a visit is possible. CaFCPCalifornia Fuel Cell Partnership will only visit science, engineering and ATT classes for high school juniors and seniors, after school science clubs, and college engineering classes.

CaFCPCalifornia Fuel Cell Partnership has a public tour on the 4th Friday of the month at 1:00. This is the only time we accommodate school groups. The tour is best for junior and senior science, engineering or ATT classes. We do not recommend a visit by younger students. All students must have their parents sign a waiver. Please contact Juan Contreras to reserve space at public tour.