Chapter 60 Field experience with fuel cell vehicles K. Wipke 1 , S. Sprik 1 , J. Kurtz 1 and J. Garbak 2 1 Hydrogen Technologies & Systems Center, Golden, CO, USA 2 US Department of Energy, Washington, DC, USA 1 INTRODUCTION Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are being devel- oped and tested for their potential as commercially viable and highly efficient zero-tailpipe emission vehicles. Using hydrogen fuel and high-efficiency FCVs provides environ- mental and fuel feedstock diversity benefits to the United States. Hydrogen could be derived from a mixture of renewable sources, natural gas, biomass, coal, and nuclear energy, thereby enabling the country to reduce emissions and decrease its dependence on foreign oil. Numerous tech- nical barriers remain before hydrogen FCVs are commer- cially viable. Significant resources from the private industry and the government are being devoted to overcoming these barriers. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is working with industry partners to develop these technologies through its Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies (HFCIT) Program. This multifaceted program simultane- ously addresses hydrogen production, storage, delivery, conversion (fuel cells), technology validation, deployment (education), market transformation, safety, and codes and standards. DOE has previously identified many key techni- cal barriers, such as hydrogen storage and fuel cell durabil- ity. These barriers are being addressed through additional research. Other challenges may become apparent through integrated, real-world application of these technologies. Prior to this project, the number of FCVs in service was small, and vehicle operation was focused primarily in Cal- ifornia. The result was that the quantity and geographic diversity of the data collected were limited. To address vehicle and refueling infrastructure issues simultaneously, DOE is conducting a large-scale “learning demonstration” involving automotive manufacturers and fuel providers. This learning demonstration, titled the “Controlled Hydro- gen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Valida- tion Project,” is a cornerstone of the HFCIT Program’s technology-validation effort, spanning from 2004 to 2010. 2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS The objective of this project is to conduct parallel learn- ing demonstrations of hydrogen infrastructure and FCVs to allow the government and industry to assess progress toward technology readiness. We are identifying the current status of the technology and tracking its evolution over the 5-year project duration. In particular, we are tracking differ- ences between the first- and second-generation FCVs. The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) works to provide DOE and industry with maximum value from the data produced by this “learning demonstration.” We seek to understand the progress toward the technical tar- gets and provide that information to the HFCIT research and development (R&D) activities. This information will allow the program to move more quickly toward cost-effective and reliable hydrogen FCVs, and toward supporting refuel- ing infrastructure. The ability to feed results back into to the R&D as an integrated part of DOE’s program makes this project unique compared to typical demonstration projects. Fuel cell stack durability is critical to customer accep- tance of FCVs, and is discussed in this article. Although Handbook of Fuel Cells – Fundamentals, Technology and Applications. Edited by Wolf Vielstich, Harumi Yokokawa, Hubert A. Gasteiger. Volume 6: Advances in Electocatalysis, Materials, Diagnostics and Durability.  2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-72311-1.