GM Announces Fuel Cell Test Fleet

Honda has garnered media attention by putting two FCX fuel-cell vehicles on the street.

GM answers by announcing "Project Driveaway," in which 100 Chevrolet fuel-cell vehicles will be released for beta testing in January.

The GM plan will allow about 1000 consumers to test the new Chevrolet Equinox fuel-cell electric vehicle for 90 day rotations.

The SUV runs on hydrogen using a fuel-cell stack to make electricity. The Chevy fuel cell car has a range of 160 miles on a tank of hydrogen.

Over 11,000 have applied for the free test cars, drivers are already chosen for the first three month trials.

Test drivers, confined to LA, NY, and DC, will be supplied free hydrogen in return for user reviews and public feedback.

Chevrolet could have a fuel-cell vehicle ready for mass production by 2010.

I am not holding my breath waiting for GM to assume leadership if they are not forced to do so.

The test car is a converted Equinox SUV, not a dedicated hydrogen vehicle designed from the ground up.

This looks more like a public relations ploy than real progress.

Meanwhile, oil hit a new high, getting close to the $100 a barrel mark, on news of tensions along the Iraq-Turkey border.