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(Article updated 8/26/09 to include Federal Register link and change future tenses to present)


DOE chief Stephen Chu might not think there's an immediate payback in providing $50 million or so in federal funding of hydrogen research for personal transportation, but someone in his agency has come up with a relatively cheap alternative that might continue pushing entrepreneurial R&D into fuel cells.










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Present hydrogen storage on vehicles relies on bulky pressurized tanks.


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The Department of Energy is launching a $1 million cash award program aimed at fostering development of breakthrough hydrogen storage materials that will enable fuel cell vehicles to operate more efficiently.


The so-called "H-Prize" borrows from the private "X-Prize" program that has fostered new developments in space flight and genetics research and is presently promoting development of a production-ready passenger vehicle capable of attaining a fuel economy average of at least 100 miles per gasoline-gallon, or the equivalent.


In a notice scheduled to be published Wedesday in the Federal Register, the Energy Department will outlines requirements for the prize, to be awarded in 2011 if anyone can come up with an improved hydrogen storage material that  satisfies the department.
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Tags: Fuel Cell, Hydrogen, Department of Energy, DOE, Energy Department, Fuel Cells, Hydrogen

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Energy Department Launching $1 Million 'H-Prize' for Hydrogen Storage Advances was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.