You are here: Archives > September 2008 > Hydrogen Road Tour From Maine to California, Hydrogen Vehicles Go Cross-Country Kyle Gibeault, National Hydrogen Association On August 23, hydrogen-powered vehicles from nine major auto manufacturers arrived in Los Angeles at the culmination of the Hydrogen Road Tour, a two-week, 31-city trip across the United States to demonstrate that hydrogen vehicle and fueling technologies are nearing commercial availability. Each stop along the Tour was an opportunity for members of the public, media, and government to see hydrogen vehicles first-hand and in some instances to also drive the vehicles and observe the refueling process. The Road Tour was jointly organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation, California Fuel Cell Partnership, U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Hydrogen Association. Local organizers also played a vital role in developing each event and obtaining the necessary permits for the vehicles and vehicle refuelers. The permitting officials’ level of familiarity with hydrogen technologies varied from stop to stop but generally there were few permitting obstacles to executing the cross-country trip. For the Washington, DC stop, the NHA, in partnership with US DOT and US DOE, interacted with officials in several federal and municipal agencies to obtain permits for a ride and drive event. In this instance, the process for obtaining permits was no different than obtaining permits for any other special event. The fact that these were hydrogen-powered vehicles was of no particular interest to officials at the US Park Service, District Department of Transportation, and the Metropolitan Police Department. There was one question, however, that they all asked: When can I buy one of these cars? For more information about the Hydrogen Road Tour, visit http://hydrogenroadtour08.dot.gov. The Hydrogen Road Tour was organized by: U.S. Department of Transportation California Fuel Cell Partnership U.S. Department of Energy National Hydrogen Association