California Fuel Cell Partnership Announces
Strategy to Further
Commercialization of
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
Southern California—On October 4, members of the California Fuel Cell Partnership
(CaFCP) will announce a plan to further the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles at
the Orange County Auto Show. According to a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of
California, 81% of Californians support increased funding for alternative fuels. The CaFCP
plan will respond to this demand by extending the lifetime of the collaboration and turn its
focus toward building market foundations for, and familiarizing the public with, fuel cell
vehicles and hydrogen fuel.
Established in 1999, the California Fuel Cell Partnership is a collaboration of 31 organizations
working together to promote the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Members
include auto manufacturers, energy companies, government agencies and fuel cell technology
companies. “Although our members come from many different paths, they all see hydrogen
fuel cell vehicles being the ultimate destination for passenger vehicles,” said Catherine
Dunwoody, executive director of the California Fuel Cell Partnership. “Our members see so
much value in what we accomplished in the first two phases that they voted to extend the life of
our charter to include a third phase which will take us to 2012.”
Phase III: “The Rehearsal for Commercial”
The third phase aims to build the market foundations for the vehicles, fuel and associated
technologies. “During Phase III, CaFCP members will address market challenges, build and
promote a safe and convenient fueling infrastructure, and provide the public with hands-on
experiences with the vehicles and fuel,” explained Dunwoody. Members also intend to increase
the number of fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen stations in California during Phase III. Currently,
137 fuel cell vehicles and nine fuel cell buses fuel at 23 operational hydrogen stations in
California.
Test Drive the Future: Road Rally 2006
Each year, CaFCP takes the technology on the road for an annual Road Rally. The Rally stops
in communities along the route giving residents an opportunity to:
-
Test drive hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from eight auto manufacturers
-
Interact with fueling technology
-
Learn about fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen stations in their area
This year Road Rally 2006 will travel through Southern California from October 4-8. See the
following page for a detailed schedule or visit www.roadrally2006.org.
To attend the press conference, please email Kimberly Greer at Kimberly.greer@primedia.com
by September 29 in order to be credentialed. For more information on the California Fuel Cell
Partnership, please contact Meghan Blake at (916) 870-2016 or mblake@cafcp.org.
Road Rally 2006 Schedule
October 4 11:00 a.m.-
12:00 p.m.
Orange County Auto Show,
Media Day, Anaheim, CA
Press conference and media test
drives. Contact
Kimberly.greer@primedia.com
for credentialing information
October 5 12:00 p.m. –
4:00 p.m.
Orange County Auto Show
Public Day, Anaheim, CA
Public test drives
October 6 8:30 a.m. –
12:00 p.m.
Emergency Responder
Workshop, Torrance, CA
Workshop on fuel cell vehicles
and hydrogen
9:00 a.m. –
11:30 a.m.
Torrance, CA Public test drives
October 7-8 8:00 a.m. –
5:00 p.m.
SRT Coronado Speed
Festival, Naval Air Station,
Coronado Island, CA
Public test drives, educational
displays, opportunities to look
under the hoods of fuel cell
vehicles
California Statistics
- 137 fuel cell vehicles
- 9 fuel cell buses
- 23 operational hydrogen stations
- 15 planned stations
Technology facts
- Fuel cells have increased operating time by 300% in the past two years
Southern California facts
- DaimlerChrysler, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota have all placed fleets of fuel cell vehicles
in Southern California. Members plan to announce additional Southern California fleet programs in the next year.
- The California Air Resources Board recently awarded Hydrogen Highway grants to two
Southern California locations to build hydrogen stations.
Military facts
- Camp Pendleton will be home to a hydrogen station
- General Motors has placed a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with the National Automotive Center, part of the Department of Defense. Vehicles are located at Camp Pendleton, CA and Fort Belvoir, VA.
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For more information, please contact the California Fuel Cell Partnership
at: 916-371-2870 or by e-mail: info@cafcp.org
