Orange County Register

The hydrogen refueling station at UC Irvine can sometimes look a little lonely, but Tuesday it looked like a typical, bustling gas station as a caravan of hydrogen cars passed through on their way to Vancouver.

About a dozen cars from seven carmakers lined up at the pump, their first stop since the trek began that morning in Chula Vista in San Diego County.

“The point is to show that the technology is here,” said Tim Brown of UCI’s National Fuel Cell Research Center. “It’s not a science experiment anymore.”

The Hydrogen Road Tour 2009 is expected to take nine days to reach Vancouver, British Columbia; the participants hope to draw plenty of attention, and to push forward the notion of a “hydrogen future.”

The cars, which emit zero pollution,  seem to generate equal parts enthusiasm and skepticism. Dozens of school children were on hand Tuesday to greet the drivers and take turns piling in and out of the cars. Brief speeches came from a variety of dignitaries. Surprising statistics were tossed about — for example, that Toyota’s  fuel-cell Highlander can go more than 400 miles between fill ups.

But critics say questions remain about how enough hydrogen would be produced to support a large number of cars on the road, or how soon they will be widely available to the public.

Refueling stations also remain scarce. Driven alongside the caravan was a mobile refueling vehicle for those stretches of the route that lack any hydrogen stations.

And energy secretary Steven Chu said earlier this month that federal funding for hydrogen research would be cut because hydrogen cars won’t be practical for another 10 to 20 years.

Their availability to consumers, meanwhile, remains limited. None are being sold to consumers, although both Honda and GM offer lease programs for hydrogen cars.

 The researchers, auto company representatives and public officials at Tuesday’s event, however, say the bumps on the road to the hydrogen future are being overcome. To them, it’s only a matter of time.

“I have to say I am bitterly disappointed with the federal government,” said Jim Boyd, vice chairman of the California Energy Commission, because Chu “defunded hydrogen completely.”

Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang aimed his comments at the school children — high-school students from the Anaheim Transportation Academy and “green team” students from Lakeside Middle School in Irvine.

“This is, in fact, our future,” he told them. “So our future lies with you.”

Stephen Ellis, an Orange County resident and manager of Honda’s fuel cell program who is helping drive the company’s FCX Clarity on the tour, says what’s most noticeable about driving the cars is how quiet they are.

“One of our customers, Karen Thorp, said, ‘I feel like I’m driving a car from the Jetsons, while everyone else is driving cars from the Flintstones.’”

Carmakers with cars in the caravan also included Kia, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Chevrolet and Hyundai.

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