DC Environmental Director To Tout Hydrogen-Powered Car

WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia's top environmental official will be taking a spin in a new car that's powered by air.

On Wednesday, District Department of the Environment Director Tommy Wells will speak at a news conference and take a test drive of a hydrogen-powered vehicle built by Toyota. The car is on a tour of the East Coast for events with politicians and environmental officials.

The Toyota Mirai is powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The car has a hydrogen tank and pulls in oxygen from the air. Through a chemical reaction between the two elements, the fuel cells create electricity that powers the car. The car produces no harmful emissions when driven, although the production of hydrogen for the tanks does create carbon emissions.