Man Aims To Wean World Off Petroleum

Fred Robinson has been working to convert standard automobiles to run on alternative fuels for more than 30 years. The Stagecoach-area resident lives in a solar-powered home he built himself and converted a 2003 Hummer H2 so it can run on several different fuels, including hydrogen and ethanol. Unleaded is an option, too, he said, when he finds himself far from an alternative-fuel station. — Photo by Joel Reichenberger

Local continues lifetime of work in alternative fuels
By Margaret Hair
The Steamboat Pilot

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. -- In Fred Robinson's auto repair shop near Stagecoach, items that can run on alternative fuels abound.

There's the H2-H2, a Hummer Robinson converted to run on a combination of hydrogen, natural gas, ethanol and gasoline. There's the H-racer, a tiny hydrogen fuel cell car made by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. And there's the wood-burning stove pumping warm air into the room -- it's not burning a fossil fuel, so Robinson says it counts as alternative.

A busted-up Volkswagen that Robinson has been repairing rests on a jack on the shop floor; the three decades of car parts and alternative fuel memorabilia line the walls.

Weaning the world off petroleum has been a passion for Robinson since 1975, when he worked with a friend in Tampa Bay, Fla., to convert a diesel engine to run partially on hydrogen gas. The next year, he built a solar-powered house in Henderson Park, with picture windows offering sunlight for heat and views of the now defunct Stagecoach ski area.

As the founder of Inter-galactic Hydrogen -- a car conversion and educational company he runs with his son, Tai -- Robinson experienced a surge of interest in his varied knowledge of alternative fuel sources this spring, when national gas price averages topped the $4-per-gallon mark.

"I did a lot of presentations during that period," Robinson said, explaining that interest in his resources is closely linked with increasing and decreasing prices for fossil fuels. That interest has waned recently, as national gas price averages have declined.

"We have a message. And right now, with cheap gasoline, nobody's listening," Robinson said, adding that while some interest remains, he's not getting as many calls to convert gasoline engines to run on natural gas. Last summer, he worked on four such conversions.

In his workshop on a recent Thursday afternoon, Robinson proudly displayed a collection of "thank you" cards he had picked up from Steamboat Springs Middle School the day before. He said the sixth-grade students asked more direct questions about how cars can run on hydrogen than many adults do.

"I've been doing this around here for five years, and this is the biggest reward I've gotten so far," Robinson said, holding an oversized card decorated with markers. Since he worked on his first diesel engine conversion more than 30 years ago, Robinson has devoured information coming out of the world of alternative fuels, reading about the subject and going to as many fuel meetings and energy conferences as he could afford.

"I've just fallen into it. There were several times where I've been in the right place at the right time, and it's just meant to be," he said, explaining his seemingly effortless understanding about the scientific processes that allow 20 percent of a ground-up tree to be converted into usable hydrogen, or make it possible for algae to produce renewable fuels.

Robinson's persistence in seeking funding and curiosity for that science has paid off. In his next project, he plans to convert two diesel trucks to run on natural gas. The hope is to work hydrogen into the mix as a primary fuel source.

"Hydrogen is our goal; that's the one we want most. But we have to go through the others to get there," Robinson said. Using hydrogen as fuel is expensive, but Robinson thinks that once the infrastructure is there, production prices will decrease. In any case, it's not likely Robinson's desire to build or fix things will fade.

"I've always been a mechanic. As soon as I was old enough to walk and talk, I was playing with cars and making funny noises," he said. Even if -- as Robinson disparagingly said -- he hasn't achieved anything concrete locally, he's sure to keep trying.

"It feels good. It's hard to explain, especially with all the negative publicity about the climate and the politics and the economy, but if I'm driving down the street and I know I'm not using any gasoline, it's really empowering," he said.

Robinson’s efforts to help the world adapt to alternative fuels are big and small. In addition to converting a 2003 Hummer H2 sports utility vehicle to run on alternative fuels, he sells this small hydrogen-powered toy car, which is made by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. It hooks to a machine that converts regular water to hydrogen fuel, which is in turn powered by a small solar panel. Photo by Joel Reichenberger

www.IntergalacticHydrogen.com
www.AmericanFuelVehicles.com

Tags: american, cng, fred, fuel, gas, h2, hydrogen, methane, natural, ngv

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Comment by Tai Robinson on February 5, 2009 at 8:24pm: John,

Did you check and find that congress has made no law against using cleaner, safer, local fuels for transportation? It is up to us each, as responsible individuals to do the right thing, and we are doing the right thing. Hope you will join us.

Thank You!

Tai Robinson
Intergalactic
AmericanFuelVehicles.com

Comment by Tai Robinson on December 1, 2008 at 9:30pm: Hello Jeff, thank you for your interest.

We are the only fuel system up-fitter in the state of utah that is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. All of our CNG fuel system upgrades are EPA compliant and integrate with OBD II. In Utah, only our Intergalactic built NGV's adhere to CGA, NFPA 52, USDOT, FMVSS, NGV2.2007 and NGV3.1. We build premium, bi-fuel, tri-fuel, multi-fuel, hydrogen (H2), methane (CNG), propane (LPG), electric (EV, HEV & PHEV), biodiesel (B100), SVO and ethanol (E85) automobiles, appliances and infrastructure.

If you are looking for the Federal tax credit, you will have to pay more to get less. Only dedicated fuel vehicles qualify for the incentive, and only vehicles over 8,000 GVWR make economic sense to recoup the extraneous cost involved with a dedicated fuel vehicle that does not work everywhere in todays infrastructure. Adding enough fuel storage capacity to give a dedicated fuel vehicle enough range to be viable is cost prohibitive in most applications. We also offer dedicated fuel systems for H2, CNG LNG, and LPG that do qualify for the pork available at the trough. Only Intergalactic built, American Fuel Vehicles work in todays infrastructure while paving the highway to a brighter future.

In addition, we offer technician training and franchising if you either want to build the vehicle of your dreams, or manage an Ecolonomic based business that is good for more than just the triple bottom line. With our RE-fuel centers and beyond compliance AFV's copied all over the country, the USA has the ability to drive clean and petroleum free. We measure our success, by the number of our ides that are copied amongst our competitors in the industry. We are leading the Clean Fuel Revolution and with Solutionaries like yourself driving clean too, we all get to be a part of another American Moment.

Thank You!
Tai Robinson
Intergalactic Hydrogen
www.AmericanFuelVehicles.com
801-201-7370

www.IntergalacticHydrogen.com

Comment by Tai Robinson on November 29, 2008 at 11:36pm: John, do not wory about them, they are just an obstical illusion

Comment by Tai Robinson on November 29, 2008 at 10:08pm: Ken,
Are you ready now? tell me waht you would like, we will build it.

2jpw0lsfvltxx,
Sounds like a lesson in fuel history is in order:

The year was 1809. The first internal combustion engine in an automobile. 4 wheels, steer with your feet like a sled and a balloon full of what fuel.........

1870's Nicolaus Otto developed the 4 stroke internal combustion engine. Otto chose to use this fuel, not because it was more available at the time, but it was much safer than the new alternative, gasoline, known as benzo still this day in Italy.

In the 1800's there were pipelines in both The USA and Europe that carried what fuel????

The answer to all of these is hydrogen.

If you would like to learn more, you can obtain a DVD on the state of the state of fuel history by calling:

801-201-7370

Thank You,
Tai Robinson

Comment by 2jpw0lsfvltxx on November 28, 2008 at 9:48pm: Those of humble mechanical knowledge need clarity in this description of multiple fuels..
Current auto engines operate on an internaly fixed set of parts and parameters.
Although combustion engines can be designed to run on many things generaly the thought has to come before the engine is built to take advantage of the fuel being utilized.
Most cars without internal modifiction will run comfortably on;gasoline,ethanol blend,LNG or LPG.
Hydrogen is a diferent ballgame.
Clarity needs to be applied when suggesting several fuels can be utilized in the same vehicle just by flicking a switch!

Comment by John Reed on November 28, 2008 at 4:43pm: Great story, just hope the EPA doesn't make an example of him and fine him for breaking federal law by tampering with the ODB-II system. At SEMA in November the EPA and CARB made a big presentation on how they are cracking down on "Kit " conversions, fining installers, owners, and producers of the parts UP TO ONE MIllion Dollars each ( insert sound of Dr. Evil here....)