China is planning to build 100 hydrogen buses and 1,000 hydrogen cars in the next 3 1/2 years in order to showcase the vehicles at the World Expo 2010 to be held in Shanghai. The theme of this world’s fair will be “Better City – Better Life” and having hydrogen vehicles on hand will help portray Shanghai as a major cultural and economic center.
Along with the hydrogen buses and cars, Shanghai will also build 10 hydrogen fueling stations to support the vehicles. The Chinese government will pump upwards of $1 billion into the development of the hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure over the next few years in order to make this happen.
Fuel cell developer Shen-Li High Tech will be teaming up with automaker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation to place the fuel cells inside various car models including the Volkswagen Passat. Buses, taxis and personal transportation will make up the bulk of the 1,100 total hydrogen vehicles at the expo.
If Shanghai does pull this off, which they are expected to do, they will be showing the world the possibility of creating a large city committed to reducing pollution, getting off fossil fuels and taking control of their own energy needs. And, for that, the citizens of Shanghai will truly have a better city and better life.