For the next two days, I’ll be test driving a hydrogen-powered 2008 Chevrolet Equinox SUV. It’s one of several experimental vehicles under development by General Motors as the Detroit auto giant tries to prepare for a future when its gas guzzlers go the way of dinosaurs. Here are my impressions:
It looks and feels pretty much like a regular gas guzzling SUV, except it’s decorated with decals saying “H20,” “FUEL CELL” and “ZEROemissions.”
Turn the key and the only way you know the motor is running is by the lights on the dashboard. It takes about 10 seconds to get ready to roll in the newest version of the Equinox. It used to take 30 seconds.
There’s a screen on the center of the dashboard that shows how hydrogen flows into the fuel cell, creating energy. Instead of emissions, cartoonish blue dots stream toward the four tail pipes. The only “exhaust” is water.
Pop the shifter it into drive and you can’t hear anything, except the whir of rolling tires and the whisper of the wind.
From the Register’s parking lot, I took it for a quick spin onto the I-5 Freeway, heading south. For once, because this is a green car, I can take advantage of the carpool lane, if I were driving solo. For me, that’s one of the major attractions for an eco car — getting to drive fast. But I was traveling with a two other people from work and one from General Motors, so we qualified for the diamond lane legally no matter how you cut it.
The Equinox accelerates smoothly, even with the added weight of extra passengers. There’s no transmission, so the acceleration occurred without shifting through gears. You can’t see the engine — it’s just an electric motor anyway, so there isn’t much to look at.The Equinox’s manual says it goes 0-60 in 12 seconds. I counted outloud when we rolled onto the freeway and it seemed like we reached 60 mph in less time.
Todd Goldstein, the “Vehicle Responsible Engineer” who served as my instructor on the intricacies of the Equinox, said the engine produces 93 kilowatts, which is comparable to about 125-130 horsepower.
The Equinox’s three fuel tanks — manufactured by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. of Irvine — pack enough compressed hydrogen to travel about 200 miles.
I don’t plan on driving that far over the next couple of days. One of the dashboard features shows how many miles you’re getting per kilo of hydrogen. During most of my short drive, I was getting more than 50 miles a kilogram.
Goldstein said a kilo of hydrogen is roughly equivalent to a gallon of gasoline when it comes to energy — so that seems pretty fuel efficient — 50 miles a kilo.
I took the Equinox for another spin in the afternoon. The cartoon image of its fuel system gets boring pretty fast. I prefer to play around with the XM satellite radio. I was trying to find a good station as I whisked along the 55 Freeway. Then I noticed that the traffic ahead — even in the carpool lane — had ground to a halt. 
I can report this: The brakes work very well.
I’m happy to report that photographer, Kate Lucas, was wearing her seat belt.
Tomorrow: What my wife thinks.
Also, see how postal workers in Irvine are trying out the Equinox.
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I put my hydrogen generator installation business on craigslist Orange County it got flagged off within hours. I dont think Orange County will ever be a place for the hydrogen generation market. When gas dries up Orage County dies.
It would be nice to see all trains, buses, and cargo ships get Hydrogen or biodiesel power as refueling would be easier at the train or bus depots.
How about NASA’s fuel to drive around with?
B.Fleener
http://www.fleenerwebhost.net/special.html
Blah, blah for domestic car manufacturers. Honda and Toyota have already rolled out hydrogen cars and are currently leasing them - without much fanfare.
Interesting: 50 miles per kilo. I know there are no accurate figures now, with only a handful of hydrogen stations in the state, but it will be interesting to find out how much a kilo of hydrogen is going to cost. How much fuel will the average car be able to carry?
I’ve seen what “uncontrolled” hydrogen can do. It’s not pretty. Hopefully those problems are going to be addressed.
We’ve got to be careful and look at ALL the costs of alternatives, not just their level of emissions or “carbon footprint”. The upside to the cost of gasoline is that now it’s getting people to look (again) at alternatives.