When I think of the alternative fuel future of Chevy, I immediately think of the Chevy Volt.  I am enthusiastically awaiting the release of the Chevy Volt and while doing a little bit of research on the vehicle today, I ran across the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell SUV.  Through its Project Driveway, Chevy is testing hydrogen-powered models of the Chevy Equinox SUV in New York City, Washington D.C. and Southern California.

Equinox Fuel Cell Basics
According to the official Chevrolet Fuel Cell Technology website, the hydrogen-based SUV“will go nearly 150 miles per fill-up,(2) and reach a top speed of 100 mph. Green Car Journal has given the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell its Green Car Vision Award®.(3) The Equinox Fuel Cell won the award over several nominees, including the Honda FCX Clarity and Toyota Prius Plug-In.”

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Basics
The United States Department of Energy Hydrogen Program has a comprehensive list of resources available so that the public can better understand hydrogen energy technology.  From the Hydrogen Fuel Cells FAQ, “Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that can be used to power nearly every end-use energy need. The fuel cell — an energy conversion device that can efficiently capture and use the power of hydrogen — is the key to making it happen.”

Hydrogen energy can be used in a variety of platforms and automobile power is just one of the many applications being researched.  Hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles are zero emissions vehicles

Project Driveway
Drivers in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Southern California may be eligible to participate in Project Driveway.  The minimum requirements are that you must be at least 21 years old, a citizen of the United States and of course hold a valid driver’s license.  If you are interested, please fill out the Project Driveway survey hosted by Gongos Research.

As car manufacturers around the world experiment with a variety of alternative fuel vehicles, it is quickly becoming apparent that no single alternative fuel platform will be dominant in our future.  Learning from the mistake of sole reliance on gasoline-based fuels, manufacturers are expanding their research and looking into a variety of technologies.

Toyota is at it again. The automaker has shown promise in the past with fuel cell vehicles, and now it has managed to outdo itself. Toyota’s FCHV-adv model runs on both hydrogen and electricity, and can go twice as far as previous Toyota fuel cell models. This is quite an announcement for Toyota and the automotive world.

The vehicle switches between electric power and a hydrogen fuel cell. The vehicle can go up to 516 miles before it needs a fill up.

While this is exciting news, Japan is the only place that is going to get to see the FCHV-adv model in the near future. While the vehicle is going to be available for leasing in Japan later this year, there are no plans for a global release as of yet.

What is so great about a fuel cell vehicle? Most importantly, it does not emit any pollutants. It is able to be pollution free by running on a chemical reaction that is created by hydrogen and oxygen, which produces water.

The Toyota FCHV-adv boasts a 25% increased fuel efficiency. Toyota was able to make some adjustments with the previous braking system in order to make that improvement.

One of the most exciting things about Toyota’s announcement is the starting temperature. The new FCHV-adv can start in temperatures as low as 22 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. That is unusual for a fuel cell vehicle. The technology is incredibly difficult to get running when it is cold out, so Toyota has made great improvements.

Fuel cell vehicles are the next thing in hybrid vehicles. Although this vehicle is currently only up for distribution in Japan, the global market should expect to see it in the future. The world is hungry for advanced hybrid models, and surely Toyota has plans to take advantage of that hunger.

Other automakers have plans to release hydrogen vehicles. By 2010, consumers can expect to see hydrogen vehicles on the street in a much larger magnitude. Until then, we can just wait and hope for vehicles such as the FCHV-adv to make it to our market so we can take advantage of the technology.

GM has been busy with several NEW eco fuel technologies, one such being the hydrogen powered Chevy Equinox.

The Chevy Equinox is a limited production vehicle which will be powered by hydrogen, batteries, and a fuel cell pack. If it sounds complicated, don’t worry, because it is. Essentially with the technologies in place, this SUV will produce zero emissions and no co2 greenhouse gases.

The fuel cell car has also recently won the prestigious “Green Car Vision Award” for its innovative and ambitious fuel conservation and efficiency vision and efforts. Beating out other heavyweights, including the hydrogen powered BMW Hydrogen 7.

After weighing the achievements and importance of these vehicles, jurors felt that one vehicle stood out as a natural leader in this pack: Chevrolet’s Equinox Fuel Cell. This advanced vehicle brings to the highway an efficient powerplant that offers zero emissions, no CO2 greenhouse gases, and highly efficient conversion of its fuel to motive power. It also benefits from 40 years of research and development, building upon the engineering of other high-profile prototypes that have come before it and achieving near seamless operation with its space-age powerplant and electro-mechanical systems. It feels familiar to drive, even as its powerplant works in ways that that are unfamiliar to most drivers.

This familiar feel is important. The Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell is part of an extensive demonstration program that will find 100 such vehicles being driven by consumers and fleets for three months at a time in California, New York City, and Washington DC. Their experience behind the wheel will advance the cause of hydrogen vehicles considerably.

The Equinox will be test driven by consumers on the road to further test its viability and marketability. There is no date set for mass production, or when one will come to a dealer near you. But rest assured Chevy is hard at work making this a near reality.

Wanna test drive one? take one for a test drive