Maybe this place isn't going to be a dump forever after all...I'm pretty stoked right now; the reputation of engineering and drafting students from Humboldt County has just monumentally increased!
(I just happen to be a drafting major.)
The kids from the engineering department at HSU just won a drafting contest to design a prototype for a new kind of hydrogen fueling station. The winning design will be used
internationally! The first one was built on the HSU campus as part of winning, I suppose.
They opened the station yesterday, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and everything, and it's available to anyone who has a hydrogen car. It can only handle 4 fuel ups per day, but there's likely less then that many H-Cars in Humboldt right now anyway, so I doubt it will be much of a problem. I'm sure they'll write a grant or something to buy a bigger cell tank if the demand is enough. That's what colleges do: they write grants XD
My first thought was "... but isn't the creation process harsh enough to pretty much nullify the benefits?"
According to
this article, not really: HSU will be using water and electric power to create their own hydrogen. Oooh, I wonder if that means it will be wholesale price XD
I think after work today I'll drop by to ask a shit ton of questions.
Cars that Use Hydrogen:
BMW (Hydrogen 7) $80,000
Toyota (Hylander, Camry & Prius HCFV Versions)
Shelby Cobra $149,000
Nissan Frontier
Hummer $60,000
Honda (Clarity FCX) No Perchase Option - Lease Only $600/Mo.
"Bringing down costs
Newhouse says mass production would drive the price down significantly. The fuel cell pickups, he estimates, could be sold for $20,000-$25,000 if 100,000 were built. (MSNBC)"
Other Articles: http://eurekareporter.com/article/080904-hydrogen-fueling-station-unveiled-by-research-center
http://www.redwoodtimes.com/local/ci_10316735
http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/online/news/articles/2008-08/Three-New-Hydrogen-Refuelling-St
