California Gains its First Combined Hydrogen and Gasoline Station

Shell Hydrogen and General Motors Corporation (GM) opened a hydrogen fueling station at an existing Shell gasoline station in West Los Angeles in late June. The combined hydrogen and gasoline fueling station is a first for California, and only the second in the country: Shell and GM opened a similar station in Washington, D.C., back in 2004. The new station will generate hydrogen via electrolysis, using green power purchased from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. It is the third Shell Hydrogen refueling station in the United States and is part of DOE’s Hydrogen Vehicle and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project.

Located on Santa Monica Boulevard, the new hydrogen fueling station will be used primarily by participants in Chevrolet’s Project Driveway, which is placing 100 Equinox fuel cell vehicles in the hands of customers in three cities to gain real-world experience with the vehicles. Operating in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C., Project Driveway is placing the vehicles in the hands of celebrities, the media, public policy leaders (DOE has one), business partners, and last but not least, ordinary customers who have signed up online. See the GM press release.

City Councilman Bill Rosendahl hams it up as he fuels a Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle at the new hydrogen fueling station in Los Angeles.
Credit: Jamie Rector © GM Corp.

GM is also working with Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to open another hydrogen fueling station near the Los Angeles International Airport. The station is expected to open in late summer or early fall, providing another refueling stop for Project Driveway participants. According to the National Hydrogen Association (NHA), there are now 61 hydrogen fueling stations operating in the United States, with another 37 planned. See the Clean Energy Fuels press release and the NHA’s newly upgraded Hydrogen Fueling Station Database.