The Colorado Hydrogen Fleet Working Group met for the first time on May 26, 2021, to kick off the effort to engage Colorado businesses and municipalities in opportunities to develop hydrogen fuel cell transportation fleets.
The Colorado Hydrogen Fleet Working Group consists of Denver Metro Clean Cities (DMCC), Northern Colorado Clean Cities (NCCC) and the Colorado Hydrogen Network working collaboratively to be a resource for fleets looking at the near-term future of this developing technology.
The group will work to provide organizations with the information and tools they need to consider moving to Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), such as the availability of fuel cell trucks and buses and the development status for hydrogen fuel stations. It will connect the companies and municipalities with vehicle providers as well as with funding support to encourage the adoption of FCEVs.
“We are excited about offering this opportunity to our fleet stakeholders in Colorado,” Bonnie Trowbridge, Executive Director of the DMCC, said. “There are current applications like forklifts, transit buses, and cars that the working group will examine with an eye toward increasing adoption here in Colorado. Additionally, there are many emerging applications that we want to explore with the intention of leading the way here in Colorado.”
The Working Group will be a comprehensive source for the latest information about FCEV technology, vehicles, fueling and safety for fleet managers, transit agencies, vehicle suppliers, investors and fuel station developers and more.
“The Hydrogen Fleets Working Group took flight to resolve the chicken-and-egg stalemate of establishing both fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen fueling in Colorado,” Brian DeBruine, Director of Operations at the Colorado Hydrogen Network, said. “Commitment was expressed between both public and private stakeholders to work together to make Colorado the next epicenter for green, hydrogen-powered electric transportation.”
Denver Metro Clean Cities, Northern Colorado Clean Cities and the Colorado Hydrogen Network hold the common goal of advancing clean transportation and sustainable mobility.
“Hydrogen has great potential to drive the future of mobility while decreasing emissions and producing only water vapor and warm air,” Diego Lopez, Executive Director of the NCCC, said. “Typically, the storage capacity for hydrogen in light-duty vehicles should enable a driving range of more than 300 miles to meet consumer needs. This is especially important for rural Colorado consumers that drive great distances at higher speeds and requiring more range than in urban areas.”
Powered by hydrogen derived from renewable electricity, FCEVs are appropriate for fleets due to their fast refueling, range, largely independent of cold temperatures, towing capability and freight load.
These attributes along with the state of Colorado’s increased commitment to decarbonizing transportation align to necessitate the formation of this group to provide needed resources to make overarching climate goals a reality.
