A host of vehicles powered by hydrogen will set off for an unprecedented trip across the country. The Hydrogen Road Tour, presented by the California Fuel Cell Partnership, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy and National Hydrogen Association, will visit 31 cities in 18 states over 13 days, giving people across America a chance to interact with the vehicles and see how they are fueled.

At 10:00am (ET) in Portland’s Fort Allen Park, the caravan of hydrogen-powered vehicles got the green flag to head off for the California Science Center. Vehicles participating in the Hydrogen Road Tour include those from BMW, Daimler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, as well as buses from transit agencies and universities.

“The fuel cell vehicles in the caravan will drive roughly 20,000 combined miles and use domestically produced hydrogen to reach Los Angeles on August 23rd,” stated CaFCP’s executive director, Catherine Dunwoody. “During this trip, the vehicles will emit zero pollutants.”

Fuel cell vehicles are electric vehicles that create electricity from hydrogen stored on board the vehicle. FCVs are 2-3 times more efficient than a gasoline vehicle, and more efficient than a hybrid vehicle. The only tailpipe emission is water vapor.

CaFCP coordinated the logistics for the trip with regional hydrogen, fuel cell and Clean Cities programs. “Together, we can show the country-and the world-how individual state and local programs are making a national change,” Dunwoody said.

The Hydrogen Road Tour’s goal is to showcase the progress that industry and government have made together, and emphasize the next steps to commercialization even as R&D continues. Some automakers are taking the first steps to market by leasing a limited number of FCVs in selected areas. Many expect to see commercial roll-out in the 2015-2020 time frame.

“Bringing these vehicles to market requires continued commitment from government and industry,” Dunwoody continued. “Building convenient, accessible hydrogen stations is crucial in the next few years.”

As the vehicles travel from Maine to California, they will fuel at a number of the 61 hydrogen stations that are operational today. For the most part, the vehicles will use mobile stations from Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., and Linde. Both companies have been providing hydrogen worldwide for decades. Most hydrogen in the U.S. today is created from natural gas. According to well-to-wheels studies, when hydrogen from natural gas is used in a FCV, greenhouse gas emissions are about 55% less than a comparable conventional vehicle. When the hydrogen is made from renewable sources, such as water or biomass, the GHGs are zero.

Paul Brubaker, administrator of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technologies Administration will drive in the first car in the caravan as it heads towards the next stop, Nuvera Fuel Cells in Billerica, Mass, where the company is dedicating its hydrogen station by filling the caravan vehicles.