Researchers at the University of California-Davis and Freightliner recently demonstrated a truck fitted with fuel cells for auxiliary power that could help reduce fuel costs and pollution from idling.

At the 49er Travel Plaza in Sacramento last week, truckers and media got to see a prototype fuel cell designed to power appliances in big rigs when they've stopped for the night. The prototype ran a television and VCR during the demonstration.
Fuel cells use a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity. Although they've been around since the 1960s, in the last few years they've gotten increasing attention as an energy option for the future because they emit virtually no pollutants. While vehicles powered entirely by fuel cells are still far in the future, axiliary power units could be an early application of the technology.
Bill Gouse, Freightliner's director of research, told the Sacramento Bee that "customers who have looked at it are very interested. They want one tomorrow."
Idling a heavy truck overnight can burn 6 to 8 gallons of diesel - nearly $12 a night at current fuel prices, which can add up fast.
Mark Hancock, a trucker who took a look at the prototype, talked to the paper about another concern - health issues of truckers having to breathe in diesel fumes all night long at truckstops.
However, the prototype still has a ways to go before it's offered commercially. The 100-pound fuel cell on display was not rugged enough to withstand everyday driving, and the hydrogen tank mounted on the left side of the truck took up too much space.
Last year, Freightliner demonstrated another prototype fuel cell at a meeting of the National Intelligent Vehicle Initiative in Washington, D.C., developed by Freightliner and XCELLSIS, a joint venture partly owned by Freightliner and parent company DaimlerChrysler. The fuel cell powered an 8,000 Btu/hr. air conditioner that kept the cab cool despite outside temperatures in the low 90s.