 |
You may not have noticed, but there's a race on, in which billions of pounds at stake. It's not taking place on a race track, but in the research labs of the world's major car companies where the car of the future - the fuel-cell vehicle - is taking shape. And by 'future', we don't mean 20 years' time, but three years, when the first fuel-cell car, probably wearing a Honda badge, goes on sale.
Competing with Honda are all the world's major car makers. General Motors is probably the leading light: it has developed its own fuel cell and teamed up with Toyota, Suzuki, Isuzu and Subaru. Daimler-Chrysler, Ford and Honda are going it alone, using technology from Canadian fuel-cell expert Ballard. Billions of pounds have been spent getting the fuel cell this far. Why? Because fossil fuel is a finite resource that will eventually run out, and because global warming is putting increasing pressure on car makers to cut tailpipe emissions.
But creating a working fuel cell isn't the only challenge ahead. The cell is fuelled by hydrogen, so all the world's petrol stations will eventually have to switch over to hydrogen, and oil companies will have to start producing the huge quantities of hydrogen needed to fuel the world's cars.
|
