Today ECOtality Incorporated announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Electric Transportation Engineering Company (eTec), has unveiled the eTec Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (HICE) Silverado truck in Aiken, South Carolina. This truck is the first hydrogen powered vehicle to be registered in the entire state, and was purchased by the Center for Hydrogen Research (CHR). It will be used to show the public that hydrogen powered transportation is both viable and achievable.
Project partners Roush Industries and Powertech Labs provided assistance as eTec led the conversion of the full-size 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 HD pickup truck to be fueled by a compressed hydrogen fuel system that produces nearly zero carbon emissions. In addition to the truck itself, eTec’s experienced engineering staff will provide hands-on training and technical support for the eTec HICE Silverado that will allow researchers and technicians at the CHR to easily understand the underlying mechanics of the system for future hydrogen research and testing activities.
The sale of the vehicle and the technology is mutually beneficial for both companies. “As the Center for Hydrogen Research is pioneering a new wave in hydrogen
research and education, we are excited to provide the eTec HICE Silverado to enhance their hydrogen research capabilities and to further demonstrate the viability of hydrogen,” said Fred Beauregard, VP of engineering at eTec. Fred Humes the director of the Center for Hydrogen Research said, “The acquisition of the eTec HICE Silverado is a major milestone for the Center for Hydrogen Research in uniting South Carolina’s national laboratory, research institutes, universities, and private sector towards the vision of accelerating the development of hydrogen as a viable alternative energy source.”
The newly formed partnership between eTec and CHR will help drive new clean and efficient technologies in the future. Fred Humes also noted that, “As South Carolina is quickly emerging as a national leader in advancing clean technologies, Aiken County and the Center for Hydrogen Research is quickly becoming a concentrated center for innovative research, development and commercial advancement of hydrogen. The eTec HICE Silverado will act as the ‘point-of-the-spear’ for the introduction and development of hydrogen infrastructure in the state.”
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