GM to Have Largest Hydrogen Fleet with New Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicle

General Motors has just announced the latest stage in its hydrogen fuel program with the Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicle, its fourth-generation FCV. The Equinox is part of General Motors Project Driveway, a real-world test with real people for the usability of a zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. GM will operate a fleet of over 100 vehicles in California, metro New York, and Washington DC. These three major areas of the United States provide the kind of real-world testing facilities that GM is looking for, with varied climates, varied geographic and climate locations, and, most importantly, high levels of traffic congestion and pollution! Though it might not be the most wide-spread hydrogen fleet (BMWs recently announced Hydrogen 7 will be tested across Europe), it will be the largest of its type.

"General Motors is demonstrating its commitment to hydrogen fuel cells as the answer for taking the automobile out of the environmental debate and reducing our dependence on petroleum," said Larry Burns, GM vice president of R&D and strategic planning. "The Equinox Fuel Cell is powered by GMs most advanced fuel cell propulsion system to date, and demonstrates an important milestone on our pathway to automotive-competitive fuel cell propulsion technology development."

While GM didnt get into the specifics of the fuel cell technology used, it has announced some of the particulars to do with the vehicle that its based on. The Equinox Fuel Cell has been tested as a real-world vehicle, with tests conducted in extreme weather conditions. GM says that the car will start and perform like a normal vehicle in sub-freezing temperatures. Another thing is that GM predicts that its fleet vehicles will have road lives of approximately 50,000 miles, which doesnt sound like a whole lot for a standard vehicle, but its a new standard that GM is trying to set for fuel cell development to ensure that it can withstand normal consumer life. Its a considerable step forward in producing a hydrogen-powered car for the real world.

One of the concerns that the public and the media have addressed with hydrogen vehicles in general is their safety. Because these vehicles are being certified for public road use, GM went to great lengths to ensure that the Equinox will be as safe as any other road-going vehicle, meeting the 2007 U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in terms of crash testing. Each of these fuel cell vehicles will have front and curtain airbags, ABS brakes and StabiliTrak stability control, as well as OnStar.

As a slight aside, the Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicle looks significantly different than the standard Equinox. Although fuel cell vehicles tend to have different noses and fascias due to their unique powertrain (see Fords Focus Hydrogen ICE), theres a possibility that GM could indeed be using this fuel cell to launch the facelift of the Equinox. If so, the new grille and headlamps, as well as front fascia are a departure from the current vehicle, giving the compact crossover a bolder look.