Hydrogen Car Fleet Makes Stop in New York

The nation's quest for alternative fuel has led to Central Park, at least for a morning.

A cavalcade of hydrogen prototype vehicles from nine American manufacturers stopped at the park early this morning, as part of a coast-to-coast road trip sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The tour, intended to demonstrate the cleanness and safety of hydrogen, began Monday in Portland, Maine. It will continue throughout the country for two weeks, stopping 31 times along the way to perform fueling demonstrations and let onlookers test-drive the vehicles.

Since there are few public hydrogen fueling stations in America, with the nearest New York station in White Plains, the vehicle fleet will be accompanied by mobile fueling stations and hydrogen fuel donated by the Pennsylvania-based Air Products and Chemicals and the New Jersey-based Linde Gas.

A program manager for participating manufacturer Volkswagen, John Tillman, said the company has not set a mass production timeline for hydrogen cars, but hopes to begin selling them in seven to 10 years, at prices comparable to hybrid cars.

New York City Department of Transportation officials said that, while not involved with this initiative, they plan to introduce hydrogen fuel for the light-duty ferry fleet in late 2008.