Chevy’s Equinox, the first hydrogen fuel cell-powered SUV, was the guest of honor at the press conference on Friday marking the opening of ECOFEST in New York City. This was the vehicle’s first public unveiling, although the official launch of the Equinox will be in late October. As part of a market test called Project Driveway, Chevy will be loaning 110 of these cars to people in areas that already have hydrogen-fueling infrastructure, like New York, California and Washington DC.
Contestants had to submit essays stating why they should win a lease on one of the rare concept vehicles, which cost an estimated $1 million to build. The main advantages of the Equinox are that it’s free of harmful emissions (the only byproduct is pure water) and not reliant on fossil fuels. Currently, the disadvantages are that the vehicles are made individually at great cost (a fact that will change when and if they go into mass production) and hydrogen fuel stations are few and far between. New York City residents, for instance, will have to drive about 30 miles, all the way to White Plains, to load up their tanks with enough juice to travel the next 200 miles.
The current model is a market test vehicle and is unavailable for retail sales; but Chevy claims that the cost of the Equinox will be “competitive” (One wonders with what: The Maserati? The Prius?) when mass-produced. —Saba Berhie
Wow..This is awesome. My younger son is shifting here with us on his 18th birthday and I am planning to present him such kind of smart car. What you think ? Do you have any other brilliant idea of surprising him ?
Posted by: moving company | January 28, 2011 at 12:55 AM
A lot of people have been calling for more eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to our transportation needs. But if the future of the auto industry requires a lot of capital, then it's a decision we all have to bear. Let's just hope that market competition makes the cars more economically viable.
Posted by: Kerstin Shed | October 28, 2011 at 01:55 PM