The Terminator at the LAX terminal helped christen the General Motors H2H Hummer in October 2004. At the urging of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, GM created the hydrogen version of the Gulf War gas-guzzling 8 mpg SUT (sport utility truck) to showcase the future for hydrogen technology.

Engineers from General Motors and Quantum Technologies from Irvine, California modified a standard H2 Hummer with 6.0-liter V-8 engine to run on hydrogen in a one-time effort. Schwarzenegger drove the GM H2H Hummer into the Los Angeles International Airport terminal to help christen California's first public hydrogen fuel station.

Special injectors were used to accommodate the hydrogen and because of the decreased power when running hydrogen through an internal combustion (ICE) engine, superchargers were used to power the engine up to 180 hp. The General Motors H2H Hummer also contains three compressed carbon-fiber hydrogen tanks rated at 5,000 psi.

The range for this one-of-a-kind vehicle is only 60 miles, which is far below the 200 - 350 miles that many hydrogen fuel cell and internal combustion engine hydrogen cars are getting in 2006. This just demonstrates, however, how quickly hydrogen technology has advanced within two years. For its time, the GM H2H Hummer made a bold statement.

The statement was and still is, "We are building hydrogen vehicles, hydrogen fueling stations and an entire hydrogen highway system and this system will be filled not only with wimpy little tofu-eating urban cars, but big manly vehicles that also happen to use hydrogen as fuel."

In years to come, the General Motors H2H Hummer will be known as the classic hydrogen vehicle of its time. And why not? General Motors invented the first fuel cell vehicle in the 1960's, so the GM H2H Hummer is just another highlight along the pathway to a total hydrogen transportation system in years to come.