Panel: Viable H₂ Fuel Cell Cars 15 Years Away

30 September 2004

Autoweek reports that a panel of experts at the recent Electric Drive Transportation Association conference said the hydrogen fuel cell won’t be commercially ready for at least 15 years.

The panel highlighted hurdles in the following areas:

• Fuel. The nation has no energy policy that calls for the creation of a system to produce and distribute hydrogen.

• H₂ storage and safety. Stronger, safer tanks are necessary to carry enough hydrogen to provide the required driving range.

• Standards. There are no standards to address the technical aspects of the electric powertrain, which would allow engineers and suppliers to cut the development time of components.

• Technology and materials cost.

“The science is not there yet,” said Bill Reinert, a senior systems engineer for Toyota Motor Corp., who works on hybrid and fuel cell vehicles.