General Motors opens new technology center in California

General Motors has been a supporter of hydrogen fuel for some time now.

While not as vocal in their advocacy for the alternative fuel as their colleagues Toyota and Hondo, the auto manufacture has labored for the adoption and expansion of hydrogen fuel cell technology. GM has unveiled a new technical center in Torrance, California, this week. The facility will focus on research and development of fuel cells and other alternative fueling methods for GM’s vehicles.

The actual facility has been around for several years, but was not used for researching alternative energy technologies. GM has populated the facility with several dozen scientists and mechanical engineers as the company begins to expand its hydrogen portfolio. The 12,000 square-foot facility will be home to a hydrogen fueling station and four charging units that will supply electricity to battery-powered cars being tested on-site.

Torrance is home to Toyota’s hydrogen-pipeline, which supplies a massive amount of hydrogen to a newly opened fuel station.

Toyota has offered GM an opportunity to make use of the station to fuel their experiments with hydrogen fuel cells, but GM has opted to build their own stations. Official say that this will allow them to control several aspects of the tests without having to account for third-party influences.

The auto industry is one of the primary advocates of hydrogen fuel. Nearly all major car manufacturers are building fuel cell vehicles of some kind despite a still unstable fueling infrastructure.