Toyota Motor Sales, celebrated the opening of the first hydrogen fueling station in the U.S. fed directly from an active industrial hydrogen pipeline on May 10.

Located in Torrance, Calif., next to the Toyota sales and marketing headquarters campus, the fueling station is a collaborative effort between Toyota, Air Products, Shell, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the Department of Energy (DOE).? It is designed to provide hydrogen for the Toyota fuel cell hybrid demonstration program vehicles as well as other manufacturers? fuel cell vehicle fleets in the Los Angeles area.

?Building an extensive hydrogen re-fueling infrastructure is a critical step in the successful market launch of fuel cell vehicles,??said Chris Hostetter, group vice president, product and strategic planning, TMS.??We plan to bring a fuel cell vehicle to market in 2015, or sooner, and the infrastructure must be in place to support our customers? needs.?

Toyota owns the land where the facility is located, and leases it to Shell for a nominal fee.?As station owner/operator, Shell works directly with Air Products who provides onsite equipment and station maintenance.?The pipeline gas also is provided by Air Products from its plants in Wilmington and Carson, Calif.?SCAQMD and DOE provided project funding assistance.

?This is the first time Shell has worked closely with a vehicle manufacturer to develop a demonstration station,? said Julian Evison, general manager of operations for Shell alternative energies.??The industry has made good technical progress, but cooperation is a necessity for hydrogen to achieve its commercial potential as a road transport fuel.?

Air Products also worked with Toyota and other fuel cell vehicle manufacturers to develop the Hydrogen Vehicle Authorization System (HVAS), another first for the industry and unique to the Torrance station.?The HVAS wireless vehicle recognition system allows station-to-vehicle recognition to facilitate quick and convenient fueling for customers.

The station also will feature a learning center onsite to provide hydrogen and station information to local students and the general public.?Shell and Toyota will work together to staff the learning center.

With this new station, the City of Torrance will become part of the California Hydrogen Highway initiative, which aims to create clean air solutions and develop new technology jobs across the state.