For many Americans, the great American road trip is taking a summer off thanks to high fuel prices. But for 10 vehicles, the hydrogen highway is calling.

The US Departments of Energy and Transportation, along with the National Hydrogen Association and the California Fuel Cell Partnership are sponsoring a two-week, trans-continental promotional tour for 10 hydrogen fueled vehicles. The fleet left Portland Maine on Aug. 11 on its way to an Aug. 23 arrival in Los Angeles. 

The tour is intended to demonstrate that hydrogen fueled vehicles are a viable alternative for the future of transportation. The hope is to encourage governments to support the development of a hydrogen fueling infrastructure. If a large scale fueling network were implemented, automakers could move ahead with commercializing hydrogen vehicles.

The tour will be making stops in 31 cities in 19 states as the fleet makes its way across the country. Several of the stops will include visits with key lawmakers allowing them to see and drive the various hydrogen vehicles.

BMW, Daimler, GM, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen are supplying vehicles for the event. BMW is using the mono-fueled (hydrogen only) version of its Hydrogen 7 sedan while VW is using the Tiguan HyMotion concept. The BMW H7 is the only vehicle in the fleet using liquid hydrogen.

Also participating in the tour are hydrogen suppliers Linde and Air Products. 

Not all of the manufacturers will take part in the entire tour.  General Motors spokesman Pete Barkey tells Hydrogen Forecast that fuel cell powered Chevrolet Equinoxes will appear in the cities where the Project Driveway program is underway, New York, Washington and Los Angeles.

For those interested in following the tour, Volkswagen has set up a blog written by John Tillman, Program Manager for Advanced Powertrain Research at

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AUGUST 2008