The retired Phoenix patent attorney has been talking up the lighter-than-air energy source for years, and finally made some headway in the Valley on his goal to convert the United States to a cheaper, cleaner fuel by striking a deal with Mesa and EVIT, the technical education center that serves students from 10 school districts in the East Valley. Voorhees provides the financial backing, and EVIT students offer the brain and the brawn to pull the ambitious project off. It got started with three used Crown Victoria's from Mesa.
"We decided to start with (Compressed Natural Gas) vehicles because you've got the alt-fuel approval and it solves the fire problem," Voorhees said, referring to the compressed-air tank already in place on CNG cars. "It's a ready place to prove you can retrofit existing vehicles on the road."
The process of getting the cars on the road is relatively simple: Voorhees purchased the used compressed natural gas vehicles from the city at public auction and delivers them to EVIT where students install a $500 adapter that converts the engine from running on natural gas to running on a natural gas-hydrogen hybrid.
It might not sound like heady stuff, but the process gets the students fired up, said Dana Saar, an automotive team leader at EVIT.
"When we talk to them about the fact that this (adapter) is used in race cars, they get excited about that," he said,
When all three cars are operational, Voorhees then plans to get his company's name, Global Hydrogen, plastered on the side and use them as rolling billboards to promote his company's commitment to clean living.
"We're hoping those cars will show people they can run on hydrogen," Voorhees said.
Part of the problem for skeptics of the hydrogen revolution is the refining process. The most efficient way to separate the element now comes through fossil fuels like natural gas. Separating hydrogen from water through electrolysis is a cleaner method, but right now it's costly and inefficient. Voorhees insists the technology to do that using solar and wind power is just waiting to be put to use.
The EVIT program is a first step in the hydrogen revolution, Voorhees said, along with having ample hydrogen supplies for cars and trucks and plenty of fueling stations where consumers can fill up. Right now there's only one in the Valley, in downtown Phoenix.
"It's a chicken and the egg," Voorhees said. "In order to get critical mass in terms of hydrogen need, you've got to do a lot of refueling."
Voorhees isn't the only Valley resident on the cusp of the hydrogen revolution. Gilbert businessman Dave Thompson recently announced plans to launch an alternative fuels company emphasizing hydrogen production and distribution. Around the country, Michigan, California and Florida are among the states with government and business initiatives designed to promote hydrogen as a fuel source.
Voorhees has plans for more fueling stations in the Valley and many more cars operating on the clean burning-fuelEVIT instructors and administrators are anticipating more of the fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly cars on the road in the near future, too.
So while Voorhees' concern might be promoting a fledgling industry in the face of fierce opposition from oil and automotive companies, EVIT educators are focused on giving students a chance to learn a profession that's not exactly showing up in classified ads, yet.
"We're trying to teach kids for their
future, and not our past," Saar said. "This is all for the future. We want
our kids to know there are jobs out there that don't exist today. No one
puts a job out there for hydrogen technician."