Are Hydrogen-Powered Cars Road Ready?
Cars, SUVs, and pickups consume more than 40 percent of the fuel used in the United States and are responsible for about a third of all carbon dioxide emitted globally. Developing alternatives to gasoline-powered vehicles is critical if the nation truly wants to kick its oil addiction and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Much of the research directed to achieving this has focused on clean-burning hydrogen fuel cells. In 2003, President George W. Bush announced a $1.2 billion initiative to develop hydrogen-production technologies and fuel-cell vehicles. And a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, Detroit’s Big Three automakers, and five major energy companies is developing technologies that will allow U.S. automakers to decide by 2015 whether hydrogen-powered vehicles could be manufactured on a large scale. Two 2008 reports from the National Research Council examine the future of hydrogen-powered vehicles in the U.S., evaluate current research efforts, and id
