Road to realism [fuel cell vehicles]

As the first fuel cell car prototypes smell success, commercial versions are not scheduled to hit the streets for decades. A few in the industry fear steep hurdles will actually stop fuel cell vehicles from ever being commonplace. Unfortunately the problems extend beyond simply designing an efficient and affordable fuel cell. The necessary hydrogen has to be stored in the vehicle, which also means that an infrastructure of fuelling stations - where drivers can buy the gas - is crucial. Ideally, hydrogen should also be produced at these stations, but it is the production of hydrogen that has become one of the biggest controversies. The easiest way to make hydrogen is to process an existing fossil fuel, but it can be argued that, economically speaking, this is pointless. If hydrogen could be produced from non-fossil fuels at a reasonable cost, then it could be worthwhile. Even if the mass production of hydrogen were to take off, the distribution problems would be a logistical nightmare. Also a problem is who would fund the building of a network akin to today's petrol distribution network. Clearly, fuel cell vehicle developers face tough times.