At some point, it’s important that the transports and logistics industry ask some hard questions to our politicians. Every time we fuel our vehicles with gas, our wallets dry up and it’s getting scary.

What if all this time we’d been lied to? What if gas, or even hydrogen wasn’t our best alternative? What if some powerful people found happiness in enslaving you and your company to the fuel pumps?

Influent voices are now rising to explain, with abundant proof, that it would be a lot more productive and cost effective to use batteries, instead of hydrogen fuel, to power our vehicles.

Sadly for us all, though, it’s a lot more profitable for the apparently omnipotent petroleum industry to develop the hydrogen technology, despite the considerable dangers involved, than investing for the development of efficient batteries.

Why? Because hydrogen will keep us tied up to the pumps.

Again, it’s all about the money.

Would it be possible that we’re all spectators to a giant play resembling a global conspiracy to move us all from one dependency (fossil fuel) to another (hydrogen)?

Sony Pictures has launched, on June 28th 2006, in both Los Angeles and New York, an amazing documentary / movie titled “Who Killed the Electric Car?” that tackles this situation head-on. The movie should be available locally, in most cities, this summer — as a T&L Professional, you should probably see it.

You may ask yoursefl why you should sit at your local cineplex looking at a “documentary” for a few hours? It’s a good question but let’s start with a few facts. In 1996, not so long ago, electric cars began to pop up on California’s roads. They were quiet, fast (zippy, to be precise), produced no exhaust and basically ran without any gasoline… a dream on four wheels, right?

Ok, so why are electric cars on the way out?

What happened?

In the transports and logistics industry, it’s hard to imagine daily business without using fossil fuel but, in comparison, look at the rest of our lives.

We use batteries in toothbrushes, rasors, flashlights, remotes, wireless phones, portable devices and computers… nowadays, even the books we buy for our kids come with little battery powered sound systems that play music while they read!

I’ll admit we either have to recharge the batteries once in a while (or even change them) but overall, we’re getting decent performance.

Why can’t we use batteries in our vehicles, especially for shorter commutes?

Imagine the savings in the T&L industry if all short distances could be taken care of by electric vehicles. Nobody would want to switch back to fossil fuel or even hydrogen so why are we so passive and tolerant about those “alternatives” now?

The ongoing debate over how to fuel the many vehicles in our highly mobile society will not stop here but hopefull, by asking questions, T&L operators from around the world will keep an open mind about what the future may have in store.

Tags: electric cars, gm, mobile society, fossil fuel, hydrogen, no emissions, documentary

Last month, in West Sacramento, President Bush visited the California Fuel Cell Partnership headquarters to learn about the progress of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

During his visit, the President toured the solar-powered facility including CaFCP’s hydrogen station and a vehicle service bay — one of eight — to see the work that goes on a daily basis. He also saw fuel cell vehicles produced by eight auto manufacturers and two fuel cell buses.

At the conclusion of the tour, President Bush spoke about advanced transportation technology to an audience comprised of CaFCP members and White House guests. Here are short excerpts:

“I strongly believe hydrogen is the fuel of the future. That’s what we’re talking about,” the President stated during his speech. “Hydrogen is used in a fuel cell that can power a car that uses no gasoline, produces no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen vehicles can be twice as efficient as gasoline vehicles. Hydrogen is clean; hydrogen is domestically produced; and hydrogen is the wave of the future. And the people here at the California Fuel Cell Partnership understand that.”

To this day, a total of 134 fuel cell passenger vehicles and 9 fuel cell buses have been placed on California’s roads. They fuel at the 22 hydrogen stations located in major metropolitan areas, across California.

These vehicles are powered by electricity produced onboard by fuel cells that combine hydrogen fuel with oxygen from air. Their only tailpipe emission is water. This truly represents an alternative for the future of transport.

Founded during Earth Week seven years ago, the California Fuel Cell Partnership is a collaboration of 31 member organizations working together to promote the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

CaFCP members include automotive manufacturers, energy providers, government agencies, fuel cell technology companies and transit agencies. Through collaboration, the members share learnings, develop common practices and prepare the California market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

CaFCP is committed to promoting fuel cell vehicle commercialization as a means of moving toward a sustainable energy future, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing or eliminating air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The official CaCFP press release has a few more details and you can also read President Bush’s exact words during his speech about advanced transportation technology, in the State of California.

Tags: hydrogen, green cars, california, pollution, greenhouse gas, emissions, transportation