There are a few hydrogen fueling stations around the US, but this one in Torrance, California, is fueled by an active hydrogen pipeline, which would reduce the reliance on truck fuel deliveries.

The Shell station is built on land leased from Toyota, who promises to have a hydrogen vehicle on the market by 2015 or sooner. With cities willing to provide citizens with free EV charging, car makers pursuing hydrogen fuel technology have to make sure fueling stations are just as available to drivers.

Toyota’s first generation fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHV) had an estimated range of 130 miles. In 2009, the latest generation vehicle achieved an estimated range of 431 miles on one fill of hydrogen. Toyota is currently holding a nationwide FCHV demonstration program that is placing more than 100 vehicles with demonstration partners by 2013, providing one of the largest fleets of active fuel cell vehicles in the country.

Toyota hopes that with the fueling station and demonstration program, they will spur infrastructure development prior to the introduction of their FCHV in 2015. With successful charging stations in place for EVs, Toyota will have to introduce more than one refueling station to compete with the growing EV industry.

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