Hydrogen Fueled Vehicles

(Newser) - A fleet of hydrogen-powered cars wrapped up a 31-city cross-country US tour in Los Angeles this weekend, Reuters reports. The first such trip by zero-emission vehicles aimed to promote the cars, supplied by nine automakers, and the need for more accessible zero-emission fuel. The US has 60 hydrogen stations so far but drivers have easy access to only two. More »

(Newser) - Honda has begun commercial production on the FCX Clarity, an emissions-free car that runs entirely on hydrogen and electricity, the BBC reports. Honda only plans to produce 200 models over the next 3 years, however, expecting the scarcity of hydrogen fueling stations to dampen demand. “In the next few years, we are not going to do without (gas) and diesel motors, but the future belongs to the electric car,” said an auto exec. More »

(Newser) - Hydrogen cars are the latest Hollywood must-have, and automakers are more than happy to see stars behind the wheel, the LA Times reports. The vehicles—which emit nothing but water—instantly speed celebrities to first place in the game of green one-upmanship. They are still years away from going on sale to the public. More »

(Newser) - Boeing has successfully tested the world’s first manned, hydrogen-powered plane, the BBC reports, with one executive calling the three flights in Spain “a historical technological success.” The propeller-driven two-seater runs on a hydrogen fuel cell that emits only heat and water. Boeing engineers say they doubt the cells alone could power full-scale passenger planes. More »

(Newser) - Green was the color of opening day yesterday at the International Auto Salon in Geneva, another show full of hybrids and other low-emission vehicles, with green lighting and nature-friendly slogans to prove car companies care, Der Spiegel reports. Still, cautions General Motors' CEO to those set to pronounce the gasoline era dead, "We're just at the beginning of this changeover." More »

(Newser) - A futuristic hypersonic passenger plane that could carry 300 passengers at five times the speed of sound—more than 3,000 mph—is already on the drawing board in Britain. The A2, whose design is funded by the European Space Agency, could be in the air in 25 years if there is a demand, reports the Guardian . It's even environmentally friendly, running on a green fuel, liquid hydrogen. More »

(Newser) - Makers of two green technologies—hydrogen fuel cells and plug-in electric hybrids—are racing to become the alternative energy of choice for buyers thinking beyond gasoline. They are competing for public attention, space on manufacturer’s production lines, and federal support, reports the Los Angeles Times . Electric cars,like Toyota’s popular Prius, make use of existing batteries and use a small amount of fossil fuel. More complex hydrogen cells emit only water. More »

(Newser) - It may not look high-tech enough for the Jetsons, but Honda’s new FCX Clarity is definitely worth all the buzz, New York Times auto critic Norman Mayersohn gushes. After test-driving the sedan, which runs on hydrogen fuel, Mayersohn said its greatest trick is its simplicity, which helps “convince drivers that the cars of our future aren’t so frightening after all.” More »

(Newser) - NASA has called off this afternoon's launch of space shuttle Atlantis, citing a glitch involving fuel tank sensors, Space.com reports. “We’ll try it again tomorrow,” said a NASA spokesman. Two of four sensors in the shuttle's liquid hydrogen tank were registering empty, even though the tanks were full, reports the Orlando Sentinel. At least three must be working in order for NASA to OK a launch. More »

(Newser) - Honda unveiled the unusual Puyo today, an in-development concept car with no sharp edges and a coating of soft silicone to absorb collisions, Reuters reports. Visitors to the Tokyo Motor Show were given a look at the car, which runs on hydrogen fuel cells, is driven with a joystick, and glows different colors when it is running or standing still. More »

(Newser) - A new Swiss company that will focus on green production of hydrogen, solar energy, and fuel cells will count Hollywood A-lister George Clooney as an executive board member, the AP reports. Nicolas Hayek, the billionaire Swatch chairman, is launching the enterprise to develop environmentally friendly technologies for car engines and other machines. It was a tough call for Hayek, who wavered between Clooney and Al Gore. More »

(Newser) - GM is lending vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells to drivers in LA and New York to see if the alternative technology works in the real world, the LA Times reports. In the largest such road test of its kind, GM will loan more than 100 of its expensive Chevy Equinox SUV's to drivers in exchange for feedback. More »