Volkswagen has announced it is to showcase its new innovative fuel cell powered van in the third annual California Fuel Cell Partnership Road Rally.

The Touran HyMotion van will demonstrate its eco-friendly performance levels later this month in the rally.

Car drivers in California will be given the chance to test-drive the latest model of the zero-emission van which gleans its power from a high-torque electric motor.

The standard version of the Touran runs on petrol and diesel engines, while in the Touran HyMotion, an 80 kW electric motor provides vehement propulsion, with its current supplied by a chemical reactor.

The CaFCP tour will run from Los Angeles to San Diego and will bring together a range of innovative alternative fuel vehicles and fuel cell passenger cars, which will be used to test the development of the burgeoning hydrogen service station infrastructure in the state.

Volkswagen's alternative fuel policy is based on a multi-layered drive and fuel strategy aimed at achieving further progress in ensuring mobility while at the same time reducing consumption and emissions in the short and medium term.

Earlier this week the German automotive heavyweight said it would be partnering with IdaTech, a fuel cell systems and solutions provider, to develop more new fuel cell-based technology.

Volkswagen has contracted IdaTech to design and manufacture an integrated fuel processor system operating on diesel fuel for use in the automotive industry.