Greener Cars and Fewer Gas Stations

Not long ago I took a quick mental tally of intersections near my house in the northwest San Fernando Valley. I was hard pressed to find a single intersection that wasn't occupied by at least two gas stations on the corners. This sad reality seems to be true throughout much of LA. Not only have we dedicated enormous tracts of land to cars in the form of freeways and 6 lane roads, but auto-related infrastructure like gas stations also consume valuable real estate that would be much more productive as housing or neighborhood commercial/retail.

A recent LA Times article discusses the possibilities for refueling your hydrogen powered car at home with a "residential hydrogen refueler." Honda has developed a unit (seen in the above picture) that is powered entirely by solar panels and can supply enough hydrogen for 10k miles of driving per year. There are many co-benefits to deploying such units throughout LA, namely fewer gas stations and emissions-free cars. With less reliance on oil and powered by renewable energy sources, the only limitation to the sustainability of such a system is the availability of water. It will be interesting to see how public policy makers in Los Angeles and auto manufacturers nurture the market for hydrogen cars and home refueling stations over the next several years.