UC Irvine test-drives hydrogen SUVs

Marisa O’Neil

Vehicles that some would argue are the wave of the future are hitting

the road on and around campus.

Engineers from UCI’s National Fuel Cell Research Center have been

test-driving two hydrogen-powered Toyota SUVs to survey their

feasibility and the public’s perception of them. Such

alternative-fuel vehicles have been receiving more attention since

President George W. Bush and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger each pledged

their support for the new technology.

“A year ago, nobody could have guessed both a Republican president

and our governor would come out proactively with plans to be

committed to hydrogen for the future,” said Scott Samuelsen, director

of the center.

Last year, Bush proposed $1.2 billion for researching hydrogen as

the fuel for the future. Schwarzenegger has proposed “Hydrogen

Highways,” a plan for wide-spread rollout of refueling stations.

The UCI-based research center has two Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid

Vehicles, which are built on a Highlander chassis. They use hydrogen

fuel cells that are refilled at a facility on campus.

By the middle of next year, 14 hydrogen fueling stations will open

in Southern California, said Sam Atwood, spokesman for the South

Coast Air Quality Management District. Two Orange County locations --

one in Huntington Beach and one in Irvine -- are being planned with

UCI.

UCI’s vehicles are two of only 15 produced by Toyota. Half are in

use in Japan, he said, and the other half in the United States,

primarily at research facilities.

Those vehicles use hydrogen fuel cells, which quietly power the

car with less vibration than traditional internal combustion engines

because there are no moving parts, Samuelsen said.

“The handling and driving characteristics are fantastic,” said

Atwood, who has also driven fuel cell vehicles. “They’re like happy

little gasoline-powered cars.”

Samuelsen himself drives a gasoline-powered Highlander to work and

said he finds it hard to go back and drive it after driving the

hydrogen car.

“It’s so well engineered, it’s almost too easy,” he said of the

hybrid SUV. “You get in, turn the key and drive off quietly and

elegantly. There’s a certain ambience to it.”

The center has had one vehicle since November and the other for

more than a year.

“The car we’ve had a year has been remarkably reliable,” he said.

“We’ve had no issue yet, whatsoever, which surprises me. With such

new technology we expected more hiccups but have had none.”

Fueling the vehicles is similar to filling those powered by

natural gas. Both hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and those powered by an

internal combustion engine modified to run on hydrogen can be filled

at the same station, Atwood said.

Five cities will also have fueling stations with five modified

Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles that run on hydrogen. That, Atwood said,

would help generate public interest.

Moving toward alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, will help

decrease dependence on foreign oil and price fluctuations caused by

world events. The technology is 10 to 15 years from mass production,

however, because of cost concerns, Samuelsen said.

More than 10 years of research and development have gone into the

vehicles. They are built by hand, meaning that until the technology

becomes more widespread, as with the company’s hybrid gas-electric

Prius, the price will remain prohibitive.

“It’s reasonable expect the cost to be millions of dollars per

copy,” Samuelsen said of the vehicles.

UCI signed a three-year agreement with Toyota to test the

vehicles, but Samuelsen expects the center to test each new

generation of fuel cell vehicles as the technology advances.

“I think the public will be well served if this technology is

allowed to evolve,” he said.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.