Hawaiians will soon see a new form of renewable-energy-powered transportation zipping around the island emissions-free: hydrogen fuel cell scooters.
Expected to arrived on Honolulu by 2013, the ZES scooters are being manufactured and delivered through a partnership between Big Island hydrogen production systems company H2 Technologies and Taiwan-based fuel cell systems manufacturer Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies (APFCT). APFCT developed the fuel cell-powered scooter for sale in Taiwan, where they have seen some commercial success as well as in China, where they were just approved.
H2 will first bring the scooters to Hawaii as rentals for tourists but the company has hopes that it can successfully open up sales to consumers across Hawaii and the rest of the United States.
While APFCT states that its ZES scooters can travel just 50 miles before needing to stop for refueling, the company has kept the process of doing so quite simple. The hydrogen is stored in two removable canisters mounted on the scooter so that when the need for refueling arrives, scooter owners can just exchange an empty canister for a full one. It takes less than a minute to make the exchange, as since 2000 APFCT has been working to put convenient exchange programs in place at existing gas stations.
Zero emissions, zero noise, simple refueling, and better efficiency than electric or battery-powered scooters all while capable of attaining 35 miles per hour? Sounds like the perfect all-around vehicle for the majority of city folks. Let’s hope the initial launch in Honolulu is a success so we see the new scooters here on the mainland, too.
Check out video of the ZES Scooter in action:
[via Hydrogen Fuel News and Civil Beat]
Image Credit: APFCT