Top Technology stories of the Year

According to our readers, these are the 10 most interesting technology stories that appeared in AEI during the past year Some stories appear here in shortened form.

Though any death-knell for the internal-combustion (IC) engine is decades off, the world's automakers seem to believe that the low-emissions, high-efficiency fuel cell will eventually deliver the power and performance that drivers expect. Despite difficult technical and market challenges to overcome, the latest crop of fuel-cell-powered concept cars appears to exhibit many of the basic features required for eventual success. Not surprisingly, high costs will remain the biggest single impediment to commercial viability for years to come.

Despite the current high costs, steady and tangible progress in fuel-cell technology in recent years seems to have convinced many in the automotive and energy industries that the dependable IC engine will eventually be overtaken by a clean alternative power system. The prospect of ever tighter regulatory limits on exhaust emissions has led many car manufacturers to invest heavily in fuel cells to ensure they are participants, if and when the expected market transition occurs. But there are many issues.