Hydrogen PRT

Governor Schwarzenegger and President Bush have undertaken bold intiatives to build a hydrogen economy. Small Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) systems provide the most compelling initial deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV). A five-mile, 300-vehicle system, such as envisioned for Palo Alto, generates approximately 50,000 vehicle miles daily. This 300-FCV fleet may be serviced by a single hydrogen reformer and a single, automated (super-safe) fuelling station.

U.C. Berkeley's Alex Farrell and the Rocky Mountain Institute's Amory Lovins argue strongly for the deployment of such specialized "fleet applications" as a first step. They believe that building out the expensive hydrogen infrastructure (such as gas stations every 20 miles) should be undertaken at a later time. Lightweight, aerodynamic PRT vehicle designs closely match RMI's stated FCV Hypercar design principles.