New Analysis Concludes Fuel Cell Vehicles Are The Best Pathway to Environmental and...

New Analysis Concludes Fuel Cell Vehicles Are The Best Pathway to Environmental and Energy Security

WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
Fuel cells and hydrogen fuel are the only motor vehicle technology
option that will respond effectively to global warming during this
century, according to a new analysis by a Washington expert in
alternative fuels.

"The hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle is the only option that
can achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 60% or more below
1990 levels in the transportation sector," concludes Dr. C.E. Thomas
in a study released today. "The second-best option, cellulosic ethanol
plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), could at best achieve a 20%
reduction, and even then not until 2090."

The cost of a transition to hydrogen would be small compared to
the cost of maintaining and expanding the current gasoline
infrastructure, and that the benefits would far exceed the costs,
according to Thomas' calculations.

Thomas also concluded that "the hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle
is the only option that would virtually eliminate urban air pollution
from the transportation sector by 2100; all other vehicle/fuel options
including both gasoline and ethanol PHEVs would produce essentially
the same or greater urban air pollution as the existing car fleet due
to increased vehicle miles traveled."

Hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles are the best option for
reducing US dependence on foreign oil, Thomas added. He also said that
they "will provide greater societal cost savings than any other
alternative."

Utilizing several models and analytical tools, Thomas evaluated
various configurations of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, bio-fuel and
hydrogen vehicle pathways including associated infrastructure. He
presented his findings today at the National Hydrogen Association
meeting in Sacramento, CA. The results were released simultaneously in
Washington, DC, by Fuel Cells 2000.

Thomas is co-founder and President of H2Gen Innovations, Inc., in
Virginia. He has worked in advanced energy and hydrogen in the
Washington area for the past 20 years.

The full study is available online at www.fuelcells.org.

Fuel Cells 2000
C.E. Thomas, 703-778-3122
or
Brynne Ward, 202-785-4222 x 33

Copyright Business Wire 2008