HSU Gets Hydrogen Powered Car

Station to be California’s first rural Hydrogen Highway station

Humboldt Sentinel
News 6/24/08
By Sentinel Staff

ARCATA -- Humboldt State University has been given a hydrogen-powered Toyota Prius that will use fuel produced by a new hydrogen fueling station built by the campus’s Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC).

Now in its test phase, the station will be California’s first rural facility in the Hydrogen Highway, an alternative energy initiative taking on new importance as world oil and gasoline prices soar.
HSU’s fueling station will be the northernmost link in a network of hydrogen stations allowing hydrogen-powered vehicles to travel throughout the state.

The hybrid car, designed to be powered by gasoline and electricity, was converted by Quantum Technologies of Irvine to run on hydrogen gas.

Provided by the California Air Resources Board, the Prius will be shared by HSU and other public agencies that have jointly supported the station project.

The nearly complete station will produce enough hydrogen fuel to maintain a fleet of three or four hydrogen-powered cars. SERC is pursuing funding and vehicle suppliers to build such a fleet.

The fueling station and car will be publicly dedicated at HSU on Thursday, September 4.