Comments on: Farewell, sweet passport, part 2 http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595 An occasional journal of ideas and work by Michael Fitzgerald Sat, 16 May 2026 17:41:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Michael http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-488196 Fri, 28 Feb 2014 17:09:04 +0000 http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-488196 California has, or had, a partial hydrogen highway, built in part around public buses that use fuel cells. But 2025 is a long way off, and what tends to happen with these public mandates is that we start to get close to the deadline, everybody realizes that the goal cannot be met, and there's a burst of activity aimed at creating some progress, but also moving the date. IcelandAir is advertising on the Red Line. Every time I see them I think, 'gee, wouldn't it be nice to go back?' California has, or had, a partial hydrogen highway, built in part around public buses that use fuel cells. But 2025 is a long way off, and what tends to happen with these public mandates is that we start to get close to the deadline, everybody realizes that the goal cannot be met, and there’s a burst of activity aimed at creating some progress, but also moving the date.

IcelandAir is advertising on the Red Line. Every time I see them I think, ‘gee, wouldn’t it be nice to go back?’

]]> by: Jennifer http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-488129 Fri, 28 Feb 2014 04:30:26 +0000 http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-488129 I enjoyed reading your story on hydrogen in Iceland. Made me want to visit! I enjoyed reading your story on hydrogen in Iceland. Made me want to visit!

]]> by: Jennifer http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-488127 Fri, 28 Feb 2014 04:28:49 +0000 http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-488127 California has mandated that by 2025, 15% of new vehicles sold in the state will be zero-emissions vehicles. Fuel cell cars will be among these. Hydrogen has been slow to catch on here. There's a battery-charging parking spot at my local whole foods, but I have yet to see it occupied. California has mandated that by 2025, 15% of new vehicles sold in the state will be zero-emissions vehicles. Fuel cell cars will be among these. Hydrogen has been slow to catch on here. There’s a battery-charging parking spot at my local whole foods, but I have yet to see it occupied.

]]> by: Michael http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-487916 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:33:57 +0000 http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-487916 Good questions, Jennifer. Hertz stopped renting hydrogen powered cars in Iceland a few years ago. Norway opened a 'hydrogen highway' in 2009, which a quick search suggests is still operating. I have been wondering since I posted this about the state of hydrogen power. I know I have heard little, and the US initiatives I mentioned seem to have made little progress. Good questions, Jennifer. Hertz stopped renting hydrogen powered cars in Iceland a few years ago. Norway opened a ‘hydrogen highway’ in 2009, which a quick search suggests is still operating. I have been wondering since I posted this about the state of hydrogen power. I know I have heard little, and the US initiatives I mentioned seem to have made little progress.

]]> by: Jennifer http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-487843 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 03:57:15 +0000 http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-487843 That was 7 years ago. Where are hydrogen powered cars today? Are they widely used in Iceland and Europe? Will we see more of them here in the us? That was 7 years ago. Where are hydrogen powered cars today? Are they widely used in Iceland and Europe? Will we see more of them here in the us?

]]> by: Michael http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-485864 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 17:17:39 +0000 http://mffitzgerald.com/wordpress/?p=595#comment-485864 I saw this headline today about <a href=http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-toyota-prius-recall-20140212,0,4269153.story#axzz2t7t7Yd7j rel="nofollow">the Prius recall.</a> I ran into the same (or a similar) problem with my hydrogen rental car. I was driving on the highway to the Blue Lagoon when the car just shut down. I was able to pull over to the side of Rte 41, the Reykejanesbraut, and after a few minutes pushed the button and the car restarted, kind of like a reboot. but after another couple of kilometers it stopped again. I couldn't get it to restart this second time. I trudged off to some little town to find a payphone (my cell phone didn't work in Iceland) and called the rental agency. I arranged for a cab to the Blue Lagoon, where I splashed around and relaxed. The next day, Hertz told me there was nothing wrong with the car. They'd gone to pick it up and it started just fine and they drove it back to Reykjavik, and indeed I had no more issues with it. It was just a weird glitch. I suspect they thought I was making it up, as a nice tale for my story on the hydrogen economy. I saw this headline today about the Prius recall. I ran into the same (or a similar) problem with my hydrogen rental car. I was driving on the highway to the Blue Lagoon when the car just shut down. I was able to pull over to the side of Rte 41, the Reykejanesbraut, and after a few minutes pushed the button and the car restarted, kind of like a reboot. but after another couple of kilometers it stopped again. I couldn’t get it to restart this second time. I trudged off to some little town to find a payphone (my cell phone didn’t work in Iceland) and called the rental agency. I arranged for a cab to the Blue Lagoon, where I splashed around and relaxed.

The next day, Hertz told me there was nothing wrong with the car. They’d gone to pick it up and it started just fine and they drove it back to Reykjavik, and indeed I had no more issues with it. It was just a weird glitch. I suspect they thought I was making it up, as a nice tale for my story on the hydrogen economy.

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