The members of IPHE have been coordinating activities since 2003 to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies into the global economy. Four priority focus areas of the IPHE are: 1) accelerating the market penetration and early adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and their supporting infrastructure; 2) policy and regulatory actions to support widespread deployment; 3) raising the profile with policy-makers and the public; and 4) monitoring hydrogen, fuel cell and complementary technology developments.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has funded cutting-edge research and development which has reduced the high volume cost of fuel cells by more than 80% since 2002 – to nearly $50 per kW, on track towards meeting the target of $30 per kW by 2015. However, hydrogen infrastructure remains a key barrier. Through the H2I, DOE plans to conduct testing and validation of hydrogen infrastructure technologies, including hydrogen injection into existing natural gas pipelines as well as long term renewable approaches in Hawaii.

In addition to General Motors, DOD and DOE, the H2I involves a number of partners, including The Hawaii Gas Company, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the University of Hawaii; the University of California at Irvine and FuelCell Energy. A Letter of Understanding was signed with the intent of formulating further details under the initiative within the next year. These activities will leverage the efforts and expertise of all partners to accelerate the development and demonstration of clean energy technologies.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s 50/50 cost-shared project validates fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations under real-world operating conditions and demonstrates advances in research. A total of 152 vehicles and 24 fueling stations have reported data to the DOE’s project, including vehicles from General Motors, Ford, and Hyundai Kia, in addition to Mercedes-Benz. These vehicles have traveled over 2.8 million miles and have shown a durability of 2,500 hours, equivalent to about 75,000 miles.

Mercedes-Benz North America has been involved since 2005 and will continue to provide critical data to the DOE from 20 of the fuel cell vehicles being announced today. The second generation, B-class Mercedes-Benz vehicles are designed to have a 270-mile driving range on one tank of hydrogen and take less than 5 minutes to fill. It is also currently certified by the EPA and CARB as a zero-emission vehicle for the 2011 model year.

Vehicles will be delivered to select customers in California before the end of this year. The full 70 vehicle fleet will be deployed by 2012. Based on successful performance of these vehicles, Mercedes-Benz anticipates commercialization of fuel cell vehicles in the 2015 timeframe.

Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, a maker of cool fuel cell gadgets, like hydrogen-powered toy cars for kids, has introduced their coolest gadget yet:  a pocket-sized portable fuel cell power plant that can charge your cell phones, MP3 players and other devices.

Fuel cells are the most efficient way to convert chemical energy into electricity. But most either operate at high temperatures or require very pure hydrogen fuel. Superprotonic, a startup company in Pasadena, CA, is developing a fuel cell that can handle dirty hydrogen at relatively low temperatures. It could thus use hydrogen produced from other fuels–such as natural gas or ethanol–by a simple device called a “reformer.”

A new process increases the energy output of methanol fuel cells by 50 percent.

A chemical found in mushrooms could one day replace the expensive and polluting heavy metals at the heart of fuel cells and conventional batteries, say chemists at Oxford University, boosting the development of clean power.

Commercializing fuel cells and shifting from gasoline to hydrogen could generate 675,000 new jobs over the next 25 years, according to a Department of Energy (DOE) study sent to Congress last week.

Volkswagen Group of America Inc. is planning a coast-to-coast tour of its hydrogen fuel cell car, the HyMotion Tiguan.

Mapping a route from Portland, Maine, to Los Angeles, the Herndon-based car maker said the road show will wind through 31 cities to showcase a new environmentally friendly fuel that emits nothing more than water vapor.

Volkswagen is making the trek with more than two-dozen partnering organizations and companies, including other auto companies such as BMW, Honda and Nissan and entities like the National Hydrogen Association, Army and Environmental Protection Agency.

Defense Logistics Agency kicked off its fuel cell forklift pilot project here July 24 at the Defense Depot Warner Robins. It is part of an effort to find alternative energy sources and reduce America’s growing dependence on energy imports.