Even though they aren’t expected to reach the mass market before 2010, fuel cell vehicles might someday revolutionize on-road transportation. This emerging technology has the potential to considerably decrease energy use and harmful emissions, as well as our dependence on foreign oil. Fuel cell vehicles will have other advantages too.

Fuel cell vehicles represent a radical departure from vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines. Like battery-electric cars, fuel cell vehicles are propelled by electric motors. But whilst battery electric autos use electrical power from an external source (and store it in a battery), fuel cell vehicles create their own electrical power. Fuel cells onboard the vehicle creates electrical power via a chemical process using hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air.

They could be fueled with pure hydrogen gas stored onboard in high-pressure tanks. Fuel cell vehicles also could be fueled with hydrogen-rich fuels; for instance methanol, natural gas, or even gasoline; but these fuels should first be converted into hydrogen gas by an onboard device called a “reformer.”

Fuel cell vehicles fueled with pure hydrogen emit no pollutants; only water and heat; while those using hydrogen-rich fuels and a reformer produce only small amounts of air pollutants. In addition, fuel cell vehicles are usually twice as effective as similarly sized traditional trucks and may possibly also incorporate other advanced technologies to increase efficiency.

Ahead of fuel cell vehicles make it to your local auto dealer, significant research and development is required to minimize cost and enhance performance. They should also discover successful and efficient methods to produce and store hydrogen and other fuels.

Automakers, gas mobile developers, component suppliers, government agencies, and others are working tough to accelerate the introduction of fuel cell vehicles. Partnerships such as the DOE-led FreedomCAR initiative plus the California Gasoline Cellular Partnership have been formed to encourage private firms and government agencies work together to move these trucks toward commercialization.

Since technology is still trying to develop the ideal fuel cell vehicle, they aren’t yet readily obtainable. Nevertheless, that’s just a matter of time. Previous to long, we will be inundated with advertisements and pleas to switch over to “green” cars and abandon our gas guzzlers.

Fuel cell vehicles – like alternative fuel autos are the wave of the future. Our environment is paying a high price for our transportation needs. Global warming is becoming a reality as well as the ozone layer is being depleted on a daily basis. When we begin switching over to fuel cell vehicles and alternative fuel automobiles, we just may save the world we live in – one car at a time.


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