Hydrogen-Fueled Cars Coming to New York

As New York pursues its ambitious climate change goals, the future of New York roadways may just be hydrogen-fueled cars.

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According to a report by Tamara Starr of News10, "the future of clean energy" already exists in New York. Hailing from the capital region of New York, Plug Power CEO and President Andy March has described his company as the "first real commercial market in the world, here in the Capital Region, for hydrogen fuel cells putting fuel cells in the forklift trucks."

It could open an alternative option for New York residents who might not be a fan of electric vehicles, which stand poised to take over New York roadways as the state attempts to phase out fossil fuel-driven vehicles.

Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado also endorsed the thought of options for clean energy vehicle options, and the economic benefits of having multiple options. He stated "The more you diversify energy sources, the more opportunities for the consumer to have a choice, then you're gonna always see a downstream effect on costs."

While Plug Power works with forklifts that are hydrogen fueled, those vehicles are already on the roads in California and even race cars in France are powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

According to a study by Lauren White and Anna Oleksiewicz for the University of Illinois, hydrogen fuel cells offer a number of advantages, such as reducing carbon emissions, but a number of major disadvantages as well, like the cost to manufacture them and a lack of infrastructure to support hydrogen-fueled vehicles.