Orlando Airport Tests Hydrogen Engines

Not exactly Disney related, but since many of us fly into Orlando International, this might be of interest. It appears that Orlando airport will be testing shuttle vans that make use of internal combustion engines that will run on hydrogen.

The modified engines aboard the Ford E-450 shuttle buses are 6.8 liter V-10s. The airport's fleet also includes three gas-electric hybrid vehicles and 24 biodiesel buses. The facility also powers its maintenance equipment -- such as lawnmowers and tractors -- with biodiesel.

Not bad, but where do you get the hydrogen from? In most cases, it takes MORE energy to get hydrogen gas via, say, electrolysis, then what you get when you use it. So if we use the wrong source, then it isn't more Earth friendly overall. This doesn't count yet the energy required to cool the gas (do these vehicles get it in liquid form?) and maintain it in that form at the "pumping" station.

Zz.