The Gas Company, a Hawaiian utility, already makes enough hydrogen each day to power at least 7,000 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and has promised to make more for the fueling stations, said Charlie Freese, GM’s executive director of global fuel cell activities. The current hydrogen is a byproduct of making natural gas from petroleum, he said, but The Gas Company is also starting to use animal and vegetable fats.

GM and its partners have targeted Hawaii for their fuel-cell project because the islands get about 90% of their energy from imported oil. Since that’s so expensive – and since a delayed oil shipment could cripple the state – Hawaii has a goal of reducing its petroleum reliance by 70% over the next quarter century, Freese said.

Freese declined to give the financial details of GM’s investment. But he said the automaker has already spent $2 billion on fuel-cell development, giving it an incentive to help set up ways for consumers to get hydrogen to use as fuel.

Hydrogen fueling stations can generally support 1,000 to 1,600 cars each, Freese said.

GM has already let consumers test fuel-cell versions of the previous model of its Chevrolet Equinox crossover. The automaker’s current fuel-cell system has a 300-mile range, can refuel in three minutes and fits in place of an engine to power its sedans and crossovers with minimal alteration, Freese said.

GM has not announced production of any fuel-cell vehicles, but would be ready for production by 2015, Freese said. Other automakers have said they would also be ready by then. Honda already has the FCX Clarity, a fuel-cell electric car. Toyota is planning a fuel-cell car by 2015, while Hyundai plans one by 2012.

Contact Chrissie Thompson: 313-222-8784 or cthompson@freepress.com