2008 Hydrogen Road Tour Kicks Off

Date posted: 2008-08-11 16:00:00.0

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PORTLAND, Maine — The 2008 Hydrogen Road Tour begins today, finally giving ordinary consumers the chance for an up-close-and-personal look at such vehicles as the BMW Hydrogen 7 and the Honda FCX Clarity.

Until now, only such high-profile celebrities as Jamie Lee Curtis, who recently leased the FCX Clarity, and Meryl Streep, who was chauffeured to the premiere of Mamma Mia in a BMW Hydrogen 7, have had the chance to try out these alt-fuel vehicles.

"Being on this tour will show more people that hydrogen is truly the best alternative transportation fuel," said Tom Baloga, BMW vice president of engineering in the U.S., in a statement. "An internal-combustion engine powered by hydrogen should play an important role in the future of sustainable mobility."

The Hydrogen Road Tour is a partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Fuel Cell Partnership and the National Hydrogen Association. Participants include Daimler, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen. The 13-day tour agenda is expected to be posted shortly at the Hydrogen Road Tour Web site.

The tour will end in Santa Monica, California. Organizers say one goal is to call on congressional leaders to support the creation of a nationwide hydrogen fueling-station infrastructure.

One amusing footnote to the hydrogen tour: BMW on Monday announced that recent studies have confirmed the water emitted by the Hydrogen 7 "is, in fact, safe to drink."

"Exhaust from the mono-fuel Hydrogen 7 tested by FGL Environmental was found to be well within the limits set by the EPA for safe drinking-water standards," BMW said in a statement.

What this means to you: Apparently, you'll not only get to try out some cool hydrogen cars on this tour, you won't need to bring your own drinking water, either. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent