Happy Earth Day! To help celebrate Earth Day I want to help shed some light on the new Fuel-Cell technology. What are the perks, its downfalls, is it safe? Read on and decide for yourself.

Many wonder what the future of vehicles will look like. Some have speculated a world of electric cars, others solar powered. Honda, who is one of the most innovative car manufacturers on the planet seems to believe it to be hydrogen fuel-cells.

Fuel-cells work by storing hydrogen in tanks and converting it into electricity that powers an electric motor. Because the vehicle is not a hybrid it will be able to house a much larger and more powerful electric motor. The hydrogen has to be refueled by special refueling stations that don’t exist yet but analysists believe they will come. Fuel-cell cars promise to have the same performance you would expect from a gas engine except that in the case of hydrogen, the only exhaust is water vapor.

Okay so here’s the down sides. Hydrogen is a highly flammable/explosive gas that could ignite in a crash. Manufacturers will have to prove to consumers that these things are safe and that the chance of explosion are minimal.

If the idea takes off and all the kinks worked out it could be a very viable option. Hydrogen is easily extracted from water by applying a simple electrical current. Therefore water could easily be the new fuel. This however will not help the already depletion of fresh water supplies in the world. I wonder then if hydrogen plants couldn’t extract hydrogen from sea water? No matter what happens it is clear that consumers will have the final say in the value of hydrogen fuel-cell technology.

Image: Honda-World.com

If you’re near Wisconsin in mid-July, stop by Hybridfest 2008. The third annual convention will focus heavily on driving techniques to help save between 30 cents and 1 dollar per gallon. Along with that, you’ll see more alternative energy cars here than anywhere else.

Hybridfest 2008
Saturday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 20 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Located at Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wisconsin

You’ll be able to catch plug-ins, electrics, biodiesel, hydrogen and other alternative autos, as well as listen to the experts speak on how to save gas with everyday vehicles. Then there’s the Hybridfest MPG Challenge where drivers do their best to stretch their mileage.

Speakers include:
Felix Kramer, Cal-Cars
Mike Granoff, Project Better Place
Jo-Ann Yantzis, Clean Energy
Francis Vogel, Wisconsin Clean Cities
Wayne Gerdes, CleanMPG
Peter Kozan, MPG Challenge Winner
Michael Sefton, Diesels 101

Hybridfest 2008 is presented as part of Dane County Fair. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children 6 to 11, parking and admission for younger children is free. Visit the Hybridfest website for more information.

* Don’t forget to comment to win a free Rand McNally road atlas … now Earth-Friendlier!*

No joking folks. April Fools Day is best left to amateurs, as one of my hokey friends has been known to say. Hummer has dedicated time and (very little) effort to new, more earth-friendly SUVs AND SUTs. (SUT? Really?)

The 2009 H2 models out later this year will be FlexFuel capable, something that other companies have been making standard for nearly a decade now. By 2010, all of their cars will be E85 capable, meaning they will use even more fuel than before, but emissions will be less. According to Autobloggreen, a diesel may be in the works (bringing bio-diesel into play).

Roughly 30,000 of these hit the road every year, so it does add up. I guess.

What about their H2H Hummer Hydrogen prototypes? They’ve been on the road since October of 2004, and go a whopping 60 miles on 12 lbs of fuel. A collaboration between the Governor’s office, GM and Quantum Technologies, it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere quickly.

Hummer is a good example of how the law propels progress (making the recent decision by the California Air Resources Board so tragic). This is a quote from their website regarding the new H2 SUT.

The H2 SUT’s new engine is not just more efficient, but beats the deadline for the new US federal emissions standards by a year.

That’s their benchmark, and if expectations go down, so will their priority with one of the world’s leading gas-guzzler brands.

For the most part, in the U.S. Hyundai travels under the radar. Despite winning the Michelin Challenge Bibendum with their hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the Tuscon FCEV, and having a healthy test fleet, no one’s really thought of them as a contender in the race toward greener autos. That may change next year as the South Korean company not only reveals two new hybrids … but one of which utilizes propane to create even fewer emissions.

Hyundai’s Elantra will come in two varieties. One version will run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) … propane. The other version will be a “traditional” gas-electric hybrid.

Following will be a hybrid version of the Hyundai Sonata in 2010, along with a Kia Optima hybrid and an SUV hybrid called the Borrego. Their existing hydrogen fuel-cell program also has plans for expansion, with the first cars for sale hitting lots in 2012.

I was surprised to learn that propane is actually 3rd, after diesel, in the world’s choice for car fuels. It lasts longer, and cars using propane tend to last longer too. It also kicks out 60% fewer emissions than gasoline. Sounds like a great choice for a hybrid.

With only 25 BMW Hydrogen7’s on US soil, the car makers handing the keys to a host of celebs. It’s a plan that must have went over well. Across the globe, the car is a popular new choice for red carpet drop-n-drives.

Who’s behind the wheel? Ed Norton, Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Jane Fonda, Cameron Diaz, Francis Ford Coppola, and Gilles Jacob (President of the Cannes Film Festival). Even Davis Guggenheim, director/producer of An Inconvenient Truth.

Unless you’re rolling in cash AND blessed with a fame-worthy talent, you won’t be manning one of these babies anytime soon, but it is nice to see something eco-friendly in Hollywood besides the Prius. We all know that’s a great car, but it’s nice to give people options.

Who needs a Tesla or Fisker when there’s a hydrogen-powered 7 Series on the road? People without that much cash to blow, apparently. BMW hasn’t even put a price on the car, but it’s gas-only alternative tops in around $395,000.

Available to rent, and for perusal at certain events (like the upcoming Olympics) ownership of the friendliest luxury limo on the market remains a company privilege.

More here (a WHOLE lot more, including hydrogen sourcing, production, and when we can expect an affordable BMW hydrogen fleet on the road) …