PR88160

LANCASTER, Calif., Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

In partnership with the City of Lancaster, Lex Heslin, Senior Project Developer

at Hitachi Zosen Inova, the Swiss/Japanese energy and engineering firm, was the

first of a lucky handful of motorists to take delivery of the new 2021 "Mirai"

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) in the United States this month. Heslin is

currently working with the City of Lancaster to advance its plans to become the

first Hydrogen City and expand the hydrogen electric vehicle market.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1441488/LexHeslin_Mirai.jpg

Lancaster has been a pioneer in green energy for over a decade. Mayor R. Rex

Parris stated "our current energy alternatives are not enough to reach our

goals. We see hydrogen as a viable solution that will reduce carbon emissions

not only for our residents but everyone -- improving the air we breathe,

providing secure and reliable energy, and creating skilled jobs within the

industry."

This latest model of Mirai, which means "future" in Japanese, is built on the

rear-wheel drive GA-L platform of the larger Lexus LS sedan. This allows for

increased hydrogen storage, bringing the car's Environmental Protection

Agency's (EPA)-estimated range to over 300, a 30 percent increase over the

first-generation front-wheel drive Mirai. The fuel cell system has also been

redesigned to offer more power delivered to the 20-inch alloy wheels.

As members of the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the City of Lancaster

collaborates with partners on activities that advance the technology that is

aimed at expanding the market for fuel cell electric vehicles powered by

hydrogen to help create a cleaner, more energy-diverse future with

no-compromise zero emission vehicles.

"The Mirai is proof that hydrogen works," said Heslin.  "It has a much longer

range than any of the current electric vehicles (EVs), and takes only minutes

to fill up compared to charging batteries, which can take hours. California

currently has 45 hydrogen (H2) filling stations. That number will increase to

100 in 2023, with plans to top 1,000 stations by 2030."

Hydrogen Evolution in Commercial Transport

"The Mirai showcase in Lancaster represents a considerable leap forward, in

line with "the critical mission to decarbonize the planet quickly," Mayor R.

Rex Parris said. "Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are an important zero

emission technology. Unfortunately, they draw from the power grid, which relies

largely on fossil fuels Increased adoption of large commercial electric

vehicles for transporting goods and people, however, would require bigger

lithium batteries ushering in a host of new environmental problems. The

game-changing application for hydrogen is long haul and heavy-duty transport,"

Mayor Parris said. "Imagine self-driving, zero-emission trucks that can cross

the country with only a few quick stops to refuel."

Hydrogen (H2) by contrast has a much higher energy density than energy stored

in electric vehicle batteries. (H2) can be stored in vast quantities for long

periods of time with on-demand retrieval capacity. The fuel also integrates

into existing infrastructure like pipelines and power plants as an alternative

to fossil-based natural gas.

"Hydrogen provides a doable solution to the challenge of decarbonization now,"

said Heslin, whose firm develops clean energy and infrastructure projects

around the world, including an anaerobic digestion (AD) waste facility in the

City of Lancaster. Heslin is also advising the city on the nation's first

municipal hydrogen-powered microgrid providing hydrogen generation and storage

for resiliency, energy management and cost savings. "Hydrogen is the next

important fuel for the world and we'll be seeing a lot more of it soon. In

Lancaster, it will be very soon."

SOURCE:  City of Lancaster

CONTACT: City of Lancaster, 661-723-6000