New hydrogen fuel station opens in California

Ventura Country’s first hydrogen station opens in Thousand Oaks

First Element Fuel has opened a new hydrogen fuel station in Thousand Oaks, California. It is the first hydrogen station in Ventura County and the 33^rd to be opened to the public in the entire state. The new station will be open 24-hours a day. Since the station has opened, it has served about 7 fuel cell vehicles each day. The station adds to California’s growing hydrogen fuel infrastructure, which has been steadily expanding over the past few years.

Fuel cell vehicles are still more expensive than others

The hydrogen sold through the new station costs approximately $16 per kilogram. Most conventional fuel cell vehicles have storage tanks that can contain 5 kilograms of fuel. This translates into a daily operating cost of 20 cents for fuel cell vehicles. By comparison, gas-powered vehicles cost approximately 13 cents to operate per day. Fuel cell vehicles are generally more expensive than their conventional counterparts, which has made consumers somewhat wary of them. Despite this, automakers are aggressively working to develop new fuel cell vehicles that are significantly less expensive than those being offered today. These companies are also investing in finding new ways to produce hydrogen in a less costly manner.

The cost of hydrogen fuel is expected to fall in the coming years

The California Fuel Cell Partnership predicts that the cost of hydrogen fuel will fall considerably in the coming years. The organization estimates that by 2025, hydrogen fuel supplied through new stations will cost less than $10 per kilogram. This would mean that fuel cell vehicles will have a lower operational cost than those powered by gasoline. As hydrogen becomes less expensive, more consumers are likely to embrace fuel cell vehicles.

California continues to grow as a major clean transportation market

California is currently home to the largest hydrogen fuel network in the country. The state has established itself as a major clean transportation market, with automakers throughout the world eager to bring their new cars to California. Consumers in the state have proven to be quite enthusiastic about clean transportation, which will ensure that the clean transportation space will thrive well into the future.