Filed under: Hydrogen, Kia, Green Daily

While plug-in electric vehicles are scheduled to arrive in some dealer lots later this year, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are still a ways away. It’s not that automakers aren’t interested in hydrogen technology, it just that they haven’t really taken off, yet – in part because of a slow-to-grow refueling infrastructure.Things may be about to change, though, if Kia can meet its optimistic hydrogen vehicle targets.

What targets? Well, Kia hopes to become the world leader in fuel cell vehicles by having 10,000 in consumers’ hands by 2015. To reach the goal, the company will kick-off sales to government fleets and research institutions later this year. Beginning in 2012, the company hopes to release its fuel cell vehicles to the general public. R&D-wise, the company has made significant progress on its Borrego FCEV, pictured above. This hydrogen-powered Borrego can scoot to 60 miles per hour in 12 seconds, reach a top speed of 106 mph, cover 375 miles before refueling and we walked away impressed during our brief stint behind the wheel. We know that Kia has a solid offering and hope that its hydrogen goals can be obtained, but many hurdles still remain ahead. Hat tip to Larz!

[Source: WhatCar]

Report: Kia’s hydrogen vehicle plans include 10,000 on the road by 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 25 May 2010 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The way I see it, hydrogen fuel is the real fuel of the future. It sounds almost too good to be true; clean, abundant, and the only emissions is a little H20. Of course, most hydrogen is made from natural gas right now, but that could change in the future. Also, the whole lack of infrastructure and high cost of hydrogen cars has made automakers focus on other technologies that can come to market sooner.

Toyota, however, has never given up on hydrogen. They have managed to cut the costs of hydrogen fuel technology by hundreds of thousands of dollars, to the point where they plan to offer a hydrogen fuel cell powered sedan in five years for around $50,000.

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Toyota has announced that by the year 2015 they will be selling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for around $50,000 each, cutting the costs from half a decade earlier by about 90-percent. And not only this, but Toyota has stated that at $50,000 apiece the hydrogen fuel cars will make the company a profit.

This week, at the National Hydrogen Association (NHA) Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California, Toyota spokesman Yoshihiko Masuda stated, “Toyota cut expenses to make the vehicles by reducing platinum use to about one-third the previous level and finding cheaper ways to produce the thin film used in the fuel cells and the carbon-fiber hydrogen fuel tanks …”

Some of the countries that Toyota intends to introduce its production hydrogen cars into include the United States, Germany, Japan and perhaps even South Korea. And in this group, in the next 5 years, California will get its fair share of hydrogen cars by Toyota and other manufacturers.

California Governor Schwarzenegger, who gave a speech and received an award at the NHA Conference and Expo this week, stated that by 2017 there will be 45,000 production hydrogen cars on the roads in California.

The governor says California is building hydrogen communities in such places as Santa Monica, Irvine, Los Angeles, Torrance, Newport Beach and Burbank. Governor Schwarzenegger ended his speech telling the hydrogen advocates that even when he’s out of office he will be a lifelong partner in alternative energy and sounding a bit like a democrat, he said, “Yes, we can.” For a short time, you’ll be able to watch the video of this speech on the government website.

So, with $50,000 Toyota hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for sale and hydrogen communities in place to provide hydrogen fuel look for the year 2015 to be a transformational year towards a clean energy future.

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