Fueling the next generation

As hydrogen joins the battle for automotive power with gasoline and diesel, the future could be more choices rather than one winner.

Fuel cells were once thought of as the imminent future for the transportation industry. It was only going to be a matter of time before the clean and efficient power source ousted the internal combustion engine (ICE) from its dominant role. Pure electric vehicles, the previous clean favorite, drifted away from the spotlight because the energy storage challenge seemed insurmountable after years of investment and development.

Now fuel-cell power is facing the same development hurdles; if fuel-cell vehicles cannot meet the same performance, capacity, and range as current ICE-powered vehicles at a similar cost, they will not be commercially viable. Government- and industry-funded research and development continues, even as gasoline- and diesel-engine technology continues to improve in efficiency and emissions, and hybrid-electric vehicles gain in popularity. Cleaner ICEs that use new synthetic fuels or hydrogen also present a realistic short-term option for cleaner automotive power.