As the world population grows, and developing countries consume more energy to support transportation, modern housing and commercial buildings, carbon emissions and their impact on climate change is of greater concern to every industrialized nation.

California, as the eighth largest economy in the world, is serious about leading in the energy revolution. The people of California and their elected officials are committed to making the transition to cleaner, lower polluting near-zero and zero-emission vehicles as a critical component to addressing California’s clean air and climate challenges.

The transportation sector accounts for about 40-percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The problem with continuing the unabated burning of fossil fuels like oil? The primary cause of climate change is human activity–most significantly the burning of fossil fuels to drive cars, generate electricity, and operate our homes and businesses and transportation networks.

While it is true that hydrogen supplied today to power the fuel cells in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles comes mostly from fossil fuels, that can change with time, investment and acceptance of hydrogen powered vehicles, homes and buildings.

The payoff versus un-restricted burning of oil? Hydrogen fuel-cells are more efficient when operating at peak potential. A conventional internal-combustion-engine (ICE) uses less than 20-percent of the chemical energy in gasoline, which means more than 80-percent of the fuel is wasted. In contrast, a fuel-cell converts up to 60-percent of the chemical energy in hydrogen to drive a vehicle and produces only water vapor. Fuel-cell vehicles also do not consume lubricating-oil for an engine.

A fuel-cell electric vehicle is potentially three times as efficient as a traditional combustion vehicle, powered by gasoline, and virtually pollution-free.