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Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle program
SMUD tests zero-emission cars from Ford and DaimlerChrysler
SMUD employees will drive Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) from Ford Motor Company and two FCVs from DaimlerChrysler for testing in a real-world driving environment.
One of seven U.S. cities chosen
Sacramento is one of only seven U.S. cities chosen for testing the vehicles as part of the federal Department of Energy Hydrogen Learning Demonstration Project. While Ford and DaimlerChrysler are providing the cars, British Petroleum (BP) will support the fuel supply aspect of the program.
How they work
Hydrogen FCVs emit zero emissions from the exhaust pipe and are considered the next frontier in environmentally clean automotive technology. Hydrogen, the most abundant and lightest element in the universe, is pumped into the vehicles using a special process. Inside the vehicle's fuel cell, hydrogen is mixed with oxygen from the air to produce electricity directly without burning. This reaction produces only pure water. The electricity produced in the fuel cell drives the motor of the car.
SMUD drivers to contribute important data
SMUD, in an effort to improve the Sacramento region's air quality has been a utility industry leader in research and use of electric vehicles for more than a decade. It has partnered with Ford, DaimlerChrysler and BP to test the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles, which SMUD employees will drive for District business. Data will be collected from the vehicles via remote computers to evaluate many factors of the cars' performance, which should help the automakers improve future models.
Testing other types of vehicles
SMUD has demonstrated and used plug-in rechargeable electric vehicles of all types. SMUD also currently uses gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles in its fleet as well as flexible fuel vehicles that run on 85 percent ethanol, a renewable fuel mix that is mostly derived from corn.
More information
For further information about this project, please contact SMUD Electric Transportation at (916) 732-5486.