The California Energy Commission released its First Revised Notice of Proposed Awards for passenger vehicle hydrogen stations (GFO 19-602). 114 stations are recommended for approval. Shell - 51, FirstElement - 49 and Iwatani - 14 It’s great to be a Trailblazer!
The Conestoga wagon was a trail blazer too. It's demise took ~130 years. By the 1870's it had succumbed to better tech. Hydrogen cars - time wise - are already 1/2 way to that same demise. Not necessarily all fuel cell applicationss ... but cars? Yes. .
In 130 years all current tech will succumb to better tech. Current BEVs will been seen as primitive In 130 years - but hey we all have start somewhere.
Offer free money, and people will come. The approval is for grants from the California government. The current amount in the fund won't cover all those stations, and maybe not with the full proposed amount. GFO-19-602 - Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure Is California also going to increase their FCEV rebate to offset the loss of the $8000 federal tax credit, too?
You make it sound like Other EV manufacturer’s didn’t get their fair share of money handed to them as incentives to be in California and build cars in California. Elon Musk's growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government subsidies - Los Angeles Times
The best answer is to require sellers and buyers of hydrogen fuel cell cars to build and install one fuel cell station for every 200-500 cars. Like ZEV credits, the GAS credits can be traded or even offered by someone who want those stations put up. But put a fixed ratio so the manufacturers, dealers, and customers pay the bill for hydrogen stations. Tesla already does that with the SuperCharger network. Tesla builds, operates, and maintains SuperChargers and us customers pay the cost. So I would have no problem with EV station building, operation, and maintenance become a requirement for all BEV and PHEV makers. Tax payers should never see government choose the 'winners' and 'losers.' Such choices are not where governments tend to excel. Bob Wilson
I live in Texas. It is unlikely to provide anything but R&D money for hydrogen light vehicles. Texas leads the nation in renewable electricity and because plug-ins can charge at times that air conditioners don't need to run, the state is primed to continue to push plug-ins and wind and continue to moth ball coal plants 9 months out of the year. I can see an experiment with federal money for heavy hydrogen trucks in Houston, but Texas is more primed to use natural gas and plug-ins for heavy vehicles. Unfortunately these stations are more expensive than they estimated when funds were approved, so the CEC is desiring more money to subsidize. I think this is a long shot in the short term. Subsidies for Trucks in the port of LA and port of Long Beach are approved, and that should provide a good test. Fuel Cell fork lifts appear here to stay, but they don't have a fueling problem. Japan and North Korea appear to be better able to be test beds for light fuel cell vehicles as it is much cheaper to build a fueling network, and they are subsidizing domestic not imported cars.
You forget that Texas is now home to Toyota. Hydrogen stations will be incorporated into the Texas landscape.
The difference is in the amount per return. California subsidies for chargers don't cover the full cost, yet the network is growing there. Second generation plug ins have better range without an increase in cost. While still higher than an ICE car, they aren't in luxury car range. FCEVs have always gotten a higher subsidy per car. Yet the second gen Mirai will still cost in the high end Lexus range, despite cost reductions. Other FCEVs are still lease only because of their cost and state of the technology. California is paying for the entire cost for stations, which regularly run over budget. Japan at least had enough and forced the hydrogen car companies to start paying some of the costs there. A five year old article that includes SolarCity and Space X, with accounting for subsidies that have nothing to do with promoting plug ins.. And Tesla has survived the loss of subsidies in their business. We could add up all of Toyota's government hand outs. Starting with the move to Texas and going back to WWII. Texas made its wealth on fossil fuels. Wonder where their hydrogen will come from? That statement won't win hydrogen support. Toyota is also going to need a FCEV pick up first. Maybe they can make the Nikola Badger. A plan from 2018 called for 7 to 9 hydrogen stations. http://neesc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2018_MA_H2_Fuel_Cell_Dev_Plan_final4.pdf There might be two in Mass.
that article is from 1½ decades ago. Hydrogen is trying to remain exempt from maxim amount caps as well as purchaser income caps, even to the extent that 3 year old cars are getting brand new carpool lane stickers where other forms vehicles are being kicked out of the carpool lanes. If there was a snowball's chance in hell these expensive cars had a chance at thriving on their own, they wouldn't need to keep getting more & more incentives. Compare that to Tesla or the Leaf as examples of now standing on their own 2 legs without the need of free perks or money upon purchase. Maybe 65 MIRE years of incentives? Maybe that's why corporate Toyota moved to Texas, as the California coffers are running dry and like a swarm of locusts, time to move on to greener pastures. .
No I didn't forget Toyota got big Texas tax breaks for their Truck plant and Texas headquarters. The truck plant was good for the state, reducing unemployment for texas, and boosting domestic manufacturing for trucks as costs went down and quality went up. I don't like the subsidies for headquarters. It raises my property taxes and mainly moved a bunch more Californians to the state. Texas also gave tesla big tax breaks for their new plant, and that will raise my property taxes even more, so I was against those subsidies too. The hydrogen R&D and port of houston is part of a DOE, University, State of Texas, and corporate program. Toyota is one of the corporations involved. DOE is putting up $10.8 M, university of texas - Austin is providing researchers and facilities, I believe Toyota is supplying mirai's. The UT portion of the test is to figure out how to reduce the cost of renewable Hydrogen. They will be using electrolysis from wind and solar, as well as steam reformed biogas from a local landfill. The project will provide electricity to TACC (Texas Advanced Computing) and hydrogen to some mirai's. UT already has a hydrogen refueling station for research and education of the population at large. This and a steam reformer for the biogas were part of a previous project to test plug-in Hydrogen busses. The port of Houston portion is about cost reduction and fast refueling of heavy vehicles. The gulf coast already has extensive brown (from natural gas) hydrogen production and pipelines for oil refining. This should be an inexpensive research system and is proposed to take 3 years. Texas won't really build commercial infrastructure unless this seriously reduces costs. Tesla, NRG, and Austin Energy already have extensive charging networks.
