General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] has announced it will build more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles and begin placing them with customers next year, as part of a comprehensive deployment plan dubbed “Project Driveway." The project is designed to learn all aspects of the customer experience, in preparation for commercializing fuel cell technology. A variety of drivers – in differing driving environments – will operate these vehicles and refuel with hydrogen in three geographic areas: California, the New York metropolitan area and Washington D.C.
Enabled by GM’s fourth-generation fuel cell propulsion system, the Equinox Fuel Cell is a fully-functional crossover vehicle, engineered for 50,000 miles of life. Importantly, the Equinox Fuel Cell is able to start and operate in sub-freezing temperatures during its 50,000-mile life. It is expected to meet all applicable 2007 U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and is equipped with a long list of standard safety features including driver and passenger frontal air bags and roof rail side-impact air bags; anti-lock braking system, stability control and OnStar, while providing all of the environmental benefits of hydrogen fuel cell technology.
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