Frequently Asked Questions

CaFCP is our members--organizations that are actively involved with fuel cell vehicles, hydrogen stations, regulations, deployment and research in California. Each year, full members jointly identify projects that need to happen in concert to move development forward. Projects include community readiness, developing and supporting safety codes and standards, vehicle-station deployment planning and identifying funding mechanisms. Members lead some projects with support from CaFCP staff and staff lead other projects. Everything we do reflects the concensus voice of our members. Learn more at About Us.

Fuel cells are being designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle, about 150,000-200,000 miles. Demonstration fuel cell vehicles have already accumulated more than 100,000 miles in real-world driving. Automakers assume that, like today, when the vehicle reaches 150,000 miles most people will trade in their fuel cell vehicle for a newer model. Some people may choose to replace the fuel cell, however, just as some people choose to replace the engine in a conventional car. At the end of its lifespan, the fuel cell will be disassembled and the materials recycled, similar to what happens with vehicle components today.

The equipment for home fueling would include production, storage, compression and dispensing. At this stage of development, you would need quite a bit of space and you would never recoup the costs through fuel savings. The better investment in this early commercial market is to build equipment that serves hundreds of vehicles, like gas stations do, instead of equipment that fills one car.
 

A fuel cell has an anode, a cathode and a membrane coated with a catalyst. The membrane is the electrolyte. The reactants (hydrogen and oxygen) are stored externally. Hydrogen enters the anode side of the fuel cell and oxygen enters from the cathode side. When the hydrogen molecules come into contact with the catalyst, a chemical reaction converts the energy stored in the hydrogen into an electric current. A fuel cell will create a current as long as it has fuel. When the fuel supply is shut off, the reaction stops and therefore, so does the current. A battery has an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte that allows a chemical reaction to occur. The reactants are inside the battery. When the battery operates, a chemical reaction releases electrons through an external circuit, providing a current. Some types of batteries can be recharged, which reverses the chemical reaction and allows energy to be stored again in the battery.

Early on, some automakers looked at reforming gasoline or methanol into hydrogen onboard the vehicles. Both processes worked, but added weight, complexity and cost to the vehicle. It’s easier and more cost effective to produce the fuel at a central location and dispense it at stations. Filling a tank is a quick and simple process. A hydrogen dispenser nozzle looks similar to a nozzle on a natural gas or propane dispenser. The driver locks the nozzle onto a valve on the vehicle. When the seal is tight, fuel flows into the tank. When the tank is full, the dispenser turns off. It typically takes less than five minutes to fill the tank at new stations.

In most respects, a fuel cell vehicle drives like a conventional vehicle.

Power and performance—great pick-up and easily cruises at freeway speeds.

Space and comfort—room for 4-5 passengers and a trunk full of luggage.

Dashboard gauges—display percentage of fuel remaining, kilowatts instead of RPM, and power management.

No transmission—FCEVs have electric motors. You won’t feel the vehicle change gears when accelerating or climbing hills.

Instant torque—FCEVs are off or on, like a light switch. Maximum torque standing still.

Quiet—no combustion engine or moving parts, so FCEVs make very little noise.
 

The roll out of hydrogen stations in California is tailored to match the way most people drive and get fuel: several stations near home and work, stations in destinations and "connector" locations so you can drive throughout the state. By 2020, we expect 100 stations statewide. Visit the station map for more information.

CaFCP vehicle manufacturer members subject fuel cell vehicle models to extensive safety testing prior to releasing them on public roads. Testing employs destructive testing (crash testing) and non-destructive evaluations (simulations and modeling) at the component, system, and vehicle level. FCEVs have specific safety systems that include hydrogen sensors, temperature activated pressure relief devices and ground-fault systems that isolate the fuel and the electricity when necessary.

Watch this crash test that TRC Ohio performed in 2013.
 

Most California stations receive co-funding from the California Energy Commission. CEC's competitive grant process usually denotes areas that are priorities for hydrogen stations. Station developers looks for existing gas stations that:

1. Have enough space for the equipment
2. Are zoned to allow dispensing of alternative fuels. (Many cities specify that a station dispenses liquid fuels.)
3. Are in good standing with the surrounding community.

It's also helpful if the city is a proponent of zero-emission vehicles. Incentives and benefits for drivers of plug-in vehicles should extend to FCEVs. We recommend working with your city's business community, which might be a Chamber of Commerce or an Economic Development Department, and with sustainability groups that plan and prepare for plug-in vehicles. Most of the PEV work can include FCEVs by simply replacing the "p" with a "z."

Every fuel requires more energy to make than it yields, and all fuels create some pollution. Well-to-wheels studies, which compare various fuel pathways and vehicle types, show that hydrogen produced from natural gas and used in a fuel cell vehicle is twice as efficient and 55% cleaner than gasoline through a conventional vehicle. Hydrogen produced from renewables is even better. For more information visit the Well-to-Wheels page on our web site.