Fuel cells power up

As the alternative-propulsion technology moves from lab to limited production, car makers are looking for new design solutions and materials to reduce costs.

Over the first several decades of fuel-cell development, most of the work for automotive applications went toward designing a powertrain that met basic requirements. It had to propel the car an acceptable speed for an acceptable time. It had to fit within the vehicle and leave enough space for passengers and cargo. It had to start within a reasonable amount of time and withstand the temperature range within which cars are operated.

These were fairly fundamental requirements for practical automotive use of fuel cells, and meeting these simple expectations was not trivial. But in recent years engineers have proudly checked one of these problems after another off their “to-do” lists. The fuel cell is finally approaching readiness for low-volume production as an automotive drivetrain.