OTTAWA - General Motors will
provide more than 4,000 vehicles to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with a third of
them eco-friendly by having no emissions.
"We're actively involved in supporting the Olympics, and obviously showcasing
our technologies that are cutting edge ... and are also favourable for the
environment," company spokesperson Todd Goldstein told Canadian Television (CTV)
Saturday.
The technology could involve an advanced form of GM's HydroGen3 -- hydrogen
fuel cells. The vehicles would be more powerful, faster, and have greater range
than current models. Most importantly, they have no emissions.
"Because we're not burning the hydrogen or combusting it as we would an
internal combustion engine, we have no emissions. It's a true zero-emission
vehicle. No smog pollutants out the tailpipe and no greenhouse gases. Just
straight water out of the tailpipe," said Goldstein.
GM, which recently lost its title as the world's top auto seller to Toyota,
has struggled to increase profit with job cuts and plant closures. It hopes its
HydroGen3 technology will lead to organizations and businesses using fleets of
its zero-emission vehicles.
It expects by 2010 HydroGen3 cars will be widely used by consumers. The
company says the eco-friendly cars will cost roughly the same amount of
equivalent gas or hybrid vehicles.
