Thank goodness gas stations sell cold drinks and snacks. I drove a hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle for five days last week, and suddenly I no longer had any use for gasoline. Fuel-cell vehicles, like the DaimlerChrysler F-Cell I drove, are being billed as the transportation of the future. After five days and 133 miles in an F-Cell, I can see the potential as well as the hurdles.
Thank goodness gas stations sell cold drinks and snacks. I drove a hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle for five days last week, and suddenly I no longer had any use for gasoline.
Mostly no use, that is.
Fuel-cell vehicles, like the DaimlerChrysler F-Cell I drove, are being billed as the transportation of the future. After five days and 133 miles in an F-Cell, I can see the potential as well as the hurdles.
Fuel cells are, in many ways, big batteries used to generate electricity. In a fuel-cell stack, hydrogen reacts with oxygen from the air. The result is an electrical current to move the vehicle, and hot water as the only emission.
Hydrogen, the Earth's most abundant element, can come from a lot of places, but mostly from electrolysis, where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen molecules, or extraction from natural gas.
Both President Bush and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have asked for money for hydrogen research. Auto and oil companies are spending billions of dollars on research.
"We hear a lot about people talking about hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in the short term. That's not reality," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal. "What is reality is that we have come a long way from where we started in the early to mid-'90s."
Fuel-cell vehicles might come into very limited production in 10 years or so, but vehicle cost, infrastructure and the source of hydrogen remain significant hurdles.
The vehicles have quirks, Cogan said, but driving one, "isn't it amazing how transparent it is?"
That's my reaction, too. Get over the fact that you're in a hydrogen car, and the driving experience isn't strange at all.
This wasn't my first time in a fuel-cell vehicle, but it was the first time I've driven one without supervision.
Here's how it went:
WEDNESDAY: The F-Cell arrives outside the Mercury News in San Jose, along with a DaimlerChrysler publicist and Matt Phelps, an electrical technician from the company's office at the California Fuel Cell Partnership in West Sacramento.
It's a small five-door hatchback -- just a bit longer than a Mini Cooper. The F-Cell is based on a Mercedes-Benz A-Class model sold in Europe.
The hydrogen workings are all underneath, so the car seats four very comfortably and has a roomy cargo bin in back.
This F-Cell is hard to miss, considering it has "F-Cell" emblazoned on both doors.
Later that afternoon, I show off the car to a couple of folks at the paper. It's very hot outside, so the 30-second start-up time feels very long. They immediately notice the various noises -- clicks at start-up, a whir-whine that gets louder with acceleration, the rumble of the fan in back. But they seem impressed with how real this technology is.
That night I have a meeting in San Francisco. I don't take the F-Cell, as I'd likely run out of fuel. The company says the range is 100 miles, but I've read elsewhere that it's about 70 in real-world driving.
After the meeting, I return to San Jose, pick up the F-Cell and drive to Fremont. While there is a traditional full-to-empty fuel gauge, there's also a digital readout that lets me see exactly how much hydrogen I have left.
Total drive: 17 miles.
Fuel left: 67.5 percent.
THURSDAY: Days later, Phelps tells me the F-Cell might use 5 percent of its hydrogen each morning during start-up. I see that as a short trip to the drugstore drops my fuel supply to 62.5 percent. My wife notes that the car sounds like a jet engine as it starts.
I reach my top speed, 82 mph, on the way to San Jose.
I take surface streets home, instead of Interstate-680, and drive it gingerly. I use less fuel -- 11.5 percent vs. 15.5 percent -- than in last night's commute.
Total: 44 miles
Fuel left: 37.5 percent.
FRIDAY: Time to get some hydrogen. By the time I get to a Valley Transportation Authority bus yard off Zanker Road and Highway 237, I'm down to 10.5 percent. A yellow light warns me of low fuel at 12.5 percent.
The VTA is testing three hydrogen buses, but DaimlerChrysler had never used its facility before. The result was an atypical fueling experience.
First, a technician swept the car with a hydrogen sniffer to make sure it wasn't leaking.
Then, he and Phelps donned flame-resistant smocks and safety glasses. They grounded the car, asked everyone nearby to turn off their cell phones and stand 20 or so feet away. Signs prohibited smoking and warned of hydrogen's flammability.
Right after refueling, I notice the gauge says I only have 88 percent hydrogen left. Phelps later tells me that's due to the unusual filling setup.
After a typically terrible Friday night drive home on both I-680 and surface streets, I'm quickly down to 55 percent fuel left. That changes my weekend plans.
Total: 87 miles.
Fuel left: 55 percent.
SATURDAY: The F-Cell didn't get much attention from passersby during the week, but it's a conversation starter over the weekend.
Three teenage boys notice it immediately as I pull in front of a 7-Eleven. "That's sick," one says. My 8-year-old tells me that's good, but my 10-year-old isn't so sure.
On the way out, a guy in a polo shirt emblazoned with the name of a high-tech company comes over and starts a long conversation. He asks about mileage, cost, technology and if the car is on the market. "You're lucky to get to drive it," he tells me.
I've done about 10 miles of driving, and my hydrogen drops from 53.5 percent to less than 40 percent.
Total: 97 miles.
Fuel left: 39 percent.
SUNDAY: I have lots to do today, but the F-Cell isn't available to do it. After one short trip, I've only got 30 percent of its hydrogen remaining. I leave it parked, as I need enough fuel to drive to San Jose on Monday morning.
The futuristic F-Cell is actually already older technology. The Honda FCX that was leased to a Southern California family in June gets 190 miles out of its hydrogen tanks. DaimlerChrysler already has announced that it will soon turn its Mercedes B-Class model into the next-generation F-Cell. The B-Class is bigger than the A-Class, and will be able to hold more tanks, with maybe 60 percent to 70 percent more driving range.
My sons are fascinated by the cars I test-drive, especially by how much they cost. This one, Cogan guesses, costs about $1 million. It's hand-built and full of expensive technology. My boys don't believe it.
Total: 99 miles.
Fuel left: 34 percent.
MONDAY: I drive the F-Cell from Fremont to San Jose, and then drive around nearby office parks to deplete as much fuel as I can.
I'm down to 4.5 percent when Phelps calls and says he's ready to get the car.
After he arrives, the car of the future rides away, strapped down and hidden inside a trailer pulled by a Dodge Durango.
Total: 133 miles.
Fuel left: 4.5 percent.
Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
