Hydrogen Cars Drive Across USA

It's called Hydrogen Road Tour '08. A fleet of these alternative fuel vehicles, a combination of concept cars and production models from several manufacturers, are driving from Portland, Maine to Los Angeles to prove that hydrogen powered cars are an important part of the future.

The 4,000 mile, coast-to-coast tour is taking twelve days, and includes more than 30 stops, finishing in Santa Monica on Saturday, August 23. Perhaps the most important of these stops is in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, the Senators and Congressmen who should see and be impressed with these vehicles that use no gasoline whatsoever -- those legislators won't be there. They are all on vacation with their families, or busy raising money for their re-election campaigns.

The hydrogen road rally is a partnership of the U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation, the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the National Hydrogen Association and a group of seven automobile manufacturers and hydrogen fuel providers.

Vehicles included models running on hydrogen fuel cells only, hydrogen-electric hybrids, and BMW's liquid hydrogen and gas bi-fuel model, a combo of sedans and SUVs. The collection also includes a combo of gas-powered production models retro-fitted to hydrogen, and prototypes designed from the ground up to be non-gasoline powered. BTW -- the initials FCEV mean it's a fuel cell/ elecrtic. From these manufacturers --

• BMW 7 Series Hydrogen
• Mercedes-Benz F-Cell
• Chevrolet Equinox
• Honda FCX Clarity
• Hyundai Tucson FCEV
• Kia Sportage EX FCEV
• Volkswagen Hy-Motion Tiguan FCEV
• Nissan X-Trail FCV

BMW is the only manufacturer with a hydrogen-powered luxury sedan that is already in production and available to consumers. It's the spectacular 7 Series Hydrogen, which switches seamlessly between hydrogen power and regular gasoline at the flip of a switch. I test drove it recently, and it performs equally well either way. Some 100 of these vehicles are being tested in Europe and the US by regular consumers and what the marketing industry calls 'opinion leaders'.

Honda's FCX Clarity sedan also is being road-tested by a combination of ordinary consumers and opinion leaders including celebrity and environmentalist Jamie Lee Curtis.

Volkswagen is participating with its concept HyMotion Tiguan, and will be providing daily updates and photos from the historic trip on a dedicated VW Hydrogen Tour website. Take a look. You can be sure I will be checking in periodically.

Hydrogen is not the entire answer to reducing dependency on foreign oil, but it certainly is part of the answer, along with hybrids, plug-in hybrids and compressed natural gas, or CNG.

Saab 9-X Bio Hybrid is an Award Winner

The Saab 9-X BioHybrid has been voted “Best Concept” by the editors of AutoWeek. It's a hybrid that runs on E85 bio-fuel.

The revolutionary design was introduced at the auto show in Geneva earlier this month, and it's the latest in a series of bio-power concept vehicles from the Swedish auto manufacturer, which is a division of General Motors.

Clean, uncluttered lines wrap a package that features an ultra-efficient 200hp 1.4-liter BioPower turbo engine, mated to GM’s next-generation hybrid system.

The outside echoes Saab's roots as an aircraft designer. This is a truly aerodynamic design. No door handles or visible door mirrors stick out and break the flow. But, unlike those windows the size of postage stamps at 30,000 feet, this aero-design has a sweep of glass for unobstructed views of the great scenery of your great drives.

Inside, the traditional floor-mounted console, with its angled controls and displays, is gone. Instead, controls sweep out from the top of the door moulding, arching across the driver. Displays are visible as 3-D graphics which seem to be ‘frozen’ in ice, entirely appropriate for a company which also operates an ice driving school in Sweden.

There is a wireless hook-up for what Saab calls "nomadic" devices -- things like your iPod, BlackBerry, iPhone and Treo. Also new is that the wireless function lets passengers in the back use a different device than what's operating in the front. True multi-media on four wheels.

And heavier nomadic devices such as luggage, infant strollers, skis, kayaks and surfboards, slide in and out of the cargo area easily thanks to an electrically-powered slide-out floor, which is activated when the bottom half of the split tailgate drops down.

There's mood lighting, too. This concept lets you change the cabin light from bright and cold to warm and soft. The feature can even be programmed, for example, to reflect the pattern of the changing seasons, or if you want to set the scene for a hot date.

What a Concept! From Suzuki

Suzuki calls it the Concept Kizashi 3, and describes it as 'sleek and athletic'. Also shiny silver.

This is the newest addition to Suzuki's Kizashi concept series.

Why are concept cars important? Because they give us buyers, gawkers and lurkers a hint of what's to come from the company's designers and engineers.

This concept tells us Suzuki intends to offer a larger and more upscale sport sedan.

Suzuki says this concept series reflects "a dynamic athlete in motion, taking its design cues from a strong, honed physique while displaying the performance, strength and style befitting a flagship vehicle." So there.

The Kizashi 3 makes its formal debut next week at the New York Auto Show, where it will be on display along with versions #1 and #2.

Other concepts on display include models from Honda, Chrysler, Mazda, Saturn, Land Rover, Saab and Dodge.