How much attention does the F-Cell Generate?

As with anything else in life, your message is only as good as your ability to deliver it.  So it begs the question: How effectively does the F-Cell communicate the Fuel Cell Message?  I recently had an opportunity to share the technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in my company's trade show booth.  So how did the F-Cell fair?

First, a bit of background: my company ITOYA produces office products and artists and photographer supplies, including our best selling Profolio line of inexpensive presentation albums.  These are sold through many consumer electronics and camera/photo stores across the country, and that's why we exhibit during the annual CES show.  For a small company like ours, we've had to resort to 'gimmicks' to attract visitors and fight for attention next to the multi-million dollar booths from giants like Samsung, Panasonic and Sony.  And one gimmick that's worked well for us in has been to use a promotional car in our booth. 

In years past, we've had a Lotus Exige, a mocked up Camaro pace car, a fully wrapped Mazda minivan and a wrapped Smart Car to call out to attendees walking down the halls to stop at our booth and take a look at our products.  And you know what?  It's worked each and every time.  People like seeing things out of the ordinary and our car strategy was able to garner a lot of stares and smiles out of a sea of cameras, televisions, mobile phones and accessory devices in surrounding booths. 

For 2012, not only did we have access to a F-Cell hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, but as previously blogged, Daimler Chairman Dr. Zetsche was the keynote speaker for the CES show.  His presentation included discussions specifically pertaining to fuel cell technology and I thought there was no better time to tie into this subject and shamelessly self promote my business and attempt to rub off some of the hype and hooplah from Daimler's presence.  And you know what?  It didn't work....

Now mind you, it had nothing to do with the technology or the lack of interest in Electric Cars at the CES show.  In fact, a booth around the corner from mine had a Tesla Model S sedan, and Verizon Wireless were showing their On Star tie in with a Chevrolet Volt , both of which were attracting a lot of attention.  And our humble F-Cell?  Well, let's just say that compared to past years with a Lotus or a Smart Car, or even a a fully wrapped Mazda minivan, people walking by failed to recognize the revolutionary technology lurking under the otherwise pedestrian sheetmetal.  In fact, if it wasn't for the decorative wrap done on parts of the F-Cell, I'm afraid no one would have taken any notice at all.  And by in large, the only people who did know what the F-Cell was and stopped to inquire about it were middle aged engineer types who were as fun to talk to as my tax attorney.  The car just failed to shock and awe and call attention to itself. 

The B-Class design, which is already yesterday's ham sandwich with a new model already out, just fails to really attract any attention in the same way a sports car, an exotic, or even the futuristic goofiness of the Nissan Leaf does with the average person.  I used to get smiles and people waving all the time when I drove around in the Smart ForTwo.  I could rob a bank in the F-Cell and between its unassuming design, its neutral color and the fact that it makes no noise, I bet no one would even notice me hauling off with bags of money. 

Maybe next year, I would be better served either completely wrapping the F-Cell in a loud color (like Mercedes did for the F-Cell world drive), or using a different car all together.  Despite the compelling message of the Fuel Cell technology, the ho-hum looks as the car stands just fails to get the "foot in the door" with the average American. 

Easy Come, Easy Go. Culver City is no more.

 
So the Culver City location for Shell Hydrogen has been shuttered.  Apparently, and this is all unsubstantiated speculation and assumptions on my uninformed end, Shell just could not find it fiscally prudent to continue investing in the hydrogen superhighway, particularly at this location.  Situated strangely in between a standard Shell gas station and Interstate 405, this parcel of useless land the size of a medium-range trade show booth will be relegated back to... well I'm not quite sure what it could be used for.

To wax nostalgia and out of actual necessity, I went to the Shell Hydrogen station on December 31st, 2011 for one last fill up before ringing in the new year, a new year without a 700 BAR filling station anywhere in greater Los Angeles.  As I stood looking at the plot of land which currently contains the filling dispenser, the hydrogen tanker, the refrigeration unit and the gas necessary to power the refrigeration unit, I imagined what other potential use could come of this property.

Despite its "prominent" location near the corner of Venice Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd, the fact that this property is sandwiched in between the elevated highway on one side, a lovely alley with car repair shops behind it and the regular Shell station on the other, one can only scratch their head as to what the property could be used for.  The land is too small for fast food, or any retail for that matter due to the need for required parking.  It isn't big enough for a smog check station or a drive up oil change business either.  

But realistically, it has nothing to do with the actual land utilization I would imagine.  It had everything to do with the ongoing fixed costs of supplying hydrogen from the station and the operating expenses of maintaining the equipment, and the human resources required in the maintenance.  And assuming the property isn't owned by Shell or a franchisee, the lease expense of the property itself.  Any accountant would say it was prudent to walk away from this experiment and write off all the losses to date and not accrue any new ones going forward into the new fiscal year. 

Some would certainly call Shell Hydrogen Culver City a waste of capital, as where others would call it an investment in sustainable fuel and a study in maintaining Shell's continued relevance in automotive energy.  Regardless of which way you see, the cold hard fact is that this Hydrogen Station is no more.

The hardware is being "donated" to the University of California campus up the street in Westwood, dumped by Shell for a mere $10 to a state funded public University, who has received public subsidies to implement and operate a new station on their campus.  Once again, the State of California is required to take the initiatives, as where private enterprise, specifically petroleum companies, have failed to make the necessary continued investments.