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White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino, left, and General Motors' Larry Burns.

Forget the nuclear jet packs and you-drive-it submarines. The future, it turns out, looks exactly like a Chevy Equinox.

Beneath bright skies and a snapping Old Glory at White Plains City Hall last week, a hydrogen-powered Equinox SUV pulled up with Mayor Joseph Delfino at the wheel and General Motors Research, Development and Strategic Planning Vice President Larry Burns in the passenger seat. The pair stepped out to applause from 50 assembled officials and spectators.

The vehicle was one of 100 that will ply the nation’s roads beginning next year, driven by average families, businesses and representatives in the Westchester County region, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., regions for between three and 30 months apiece. More than 30 of the cars will be here.

Hydrogen-powered vehicles emit only water when running and are often called zero-emission vehicles. The stumbling block once the fuel cells were developed centered on the filling stations.

The program in White Plains will run in conjunction with Shell Hydrogen. A hydrogen fueling station has been established at the city Department of Public Works depot and a second is planned for the General Motors Training Center in Ardsley. A GM spokesman said more hydrogen stations are slotted for the Bronx-Westchester border. The Equinoxes will have access to gated pumps.

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