Annual road rally will highlight advances in fuel-cell technology

Hydrogen powered vehicles near consumer readiness

SACRAMENTO: Today the California Air Resources Board announced
the 2009 Hydrogen Road Tour, an annual road rally to demonstrate
the advancements in fuel-cell technology, will begin May 26 in
San Diego, and end June 3 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Organized by the ARB, California Fuel Cell Partnership, National
Hydrogen Association and US Fuel Cell Council, the tour will
travel more than 1,700 miles and have 28 stops. The public will
be invited to test drive the vehicles and experience first hand
their range, performance and road readiness.

"Fuel cell technology is on the verge of becoming a practical
alternative to burning gasoline," said Air Resources Board
Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "This year's road tour demonstrates how
far the industry has come and how near we are to putting these
cars in the public's hands."

Currently, 300 fuel-cell vehicles have been placed on California
roads and manufacturers expect to increase that to 4,300 by 2014.
Fuel cell technology is also being used to power transit buses
and forklifts, and to produce electricity for industrial uses.
Examples of these will be showcased at some of the tour's stops.

California is a proponent of diversifying the fuels used to
power transportation. As part of ARB's 2006-2007 budget, the
California legislature allotted $25 million for the purposes of
encouraging the use of biofuels and high efficiency, low-emitting
vehicle technologies. These funds were used to support projects
that reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by using
alternative fuels.

In April 2009, ARB adopted a low carbon fuel standard fulfilling
Governor Schwarzenegger's 2007 executive order. The regulation is
aimed at driving down greenhouse gas emissions from the
transportation sector, which accounts for 40 percent of the
state's total emissions of climate changing gases. To achieve
this goal 20 percent of petroleum used in California cars will be
replaced with clean alternatives, including electricity,
biofuels, hydrogen and other options by 2020.

Recently, the Air Resources Board awarded Mebtahi Station
Services, San Francisco Airport, Shell Hydrogen and UCLA $1.7
million each to supplement the construction of hydrogen refueling
stations. When these stations are constructed the amount of
hydrogen available to the public will be double.

"I'd like to congratulate the partnership, the individual auto
manufacturers working to develop these cars and the companies
installing needed refueling stations," Nichols added. "Their
great progress secures our energy independence and defends the
environment."

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards