General Motors Fuel Cell Visionary, Larry Burns, Honored
WASHINGTON D.C., (Jan 28, 2008) — The Washington Automotive Press Association today presented its prestigious Golden Gear Award to General Motors Vice President Larry Burns for his unflagging dedication to fuel cell technology and hydrogen fuel as a way to preserve and enhance individual mobility in the future.
The Golden Gear is awarded for significant contribution to the automobile and its industry. It was presented at WAPA’s annual Gala dinner at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
During this decade, hydrogen has gone from an exotic notion to a real-world application, largely as a result of Burn’s leadership and vision. GM has become a pioneer in creating hydrogen fuel cell vehicles suitable for daily use by everyday customers.
“This honor reflects countless hours of hard work and dedication by an incredible team of people who are passionate about asserting GM's technological leadership, " Burns, GM vice president research & development and strategic planning said. "Making fuel cell vehicles a reality is one important component of GM's global strategy to provide more vehicles with more fuel solutions to meet the world's growing transportation and energy demands."
Among the many GM fuel cell accomplishments are the revolutionary Autonomy concepts, which include the groundbreaking HyWire - the first drivable fuel cell vehicle based on GM’s skateboard chassis concept, and the Sequel - the first fuel cell vehicle to drive 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen.
GM’s Project Driveway, the first-of-a-kind market test of more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicles is launching this month. These vehicles are going into the hands of everyday customers, media, celebrities and other key influencers here in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and New York. Drivers will use these cars in their everyday lives and report back to GM on their experiences.
These are just a few of the many accomplishments and technology advances that GM’s fuel cell program, under Burn’s steady guidance, has accomplished during this decade.
Challenges remain, with vehicle cost and the development of a hydrogen infrastructure being the two key issues. However, it is clear that hydrogen has become a pathway to future transportation solutions. Burn’s efforts at GM have helped push hydrogen development from the R&D labs onto the roads and into people’s driveways.
In attendance with Burns was Chris Borroni-Bird, GM director of advanced technology vehicle concepts.
