Lawrence Livermore and Sandia national laboratories to showcase hydrogen vehicles

Mike Janes, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, Calif., (925) 294-2447, mejanes [at] sandia.gov ( mejanes[at]sandia[dot]gov )

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WHO: Lawrence Livermore and Sandia national laboratories will showcase two buses powered by hydrogen, now operating at both Livermore sites. The collaborative effort is part of a strategy for an energy sustainable future and cleaner environment.

WHAT: The vehicles will be on display in downtown Livermore. The public is welcome to stop by and take a ride. Scientists will be on hand to answer questions about hydrogen technology and energy research conducted at the laboratories. In addition, a Toyota Prius equipped with a cryogenic tank will be on display, as well as a fuel cell mobile lighting system. Posters and brochures also will be available.

Leased from the Ford Motor Company, the buses use internal combustion engines, but are a bridge to vehicles that will use hydrogen fuel cells -- the power train of the future.

The project is funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy /Fuel Cell Technologies Program. The DOE is actively engaged in market transformation efforts to demonstrate hydrogen technologies and educate the public about the safety, energy security and environmental advantages of hydrogen as a transportation fuel.

WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, 11 a.m.

WHERE: Parking lot adjacent to the Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., downtown Livermore.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Program conducts comprehensive efforts to overcome the technological, economic, and institutional obstacles to the widespread commercialization of fuel cells and related technologies. The program works with partners in industry, academia, non-profit institutions, and the national laboratories, and coordinates closely with other programs in four DOE offices -- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Science, Fossil Energy and Nuclear Energy. The mission for the program is to enable the widespread commercialization of fuel cells in diverse sectors of the economy with emphasis on applications that will most effectively strengthen our nation's energy security and improve our stewardship of the environment.