What is a "fuel cell" car? Basically a fuel cell acts like a battery. Fuel cells combine hydrogen gas with oxygen from the air to create electricity. The electricity generated is used to power a car's electric engine. For information on how they work click here.
Can I buy one? Not yet. Every major automaker is currently developing hydrogen vehicles. General Motors, Toyota, Honda and others have a few prototypes on U.S. highways, leased to government fleets or universities. None are for sale yet to consumers. The National Academy of Sciences predicts that the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicles won't hit showrooms until at least 2015.
What is the "Hydrogen Highway"? The Hydrogen Highway is a plan unveiled by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to invest $54 million in public money to help build a network of up to 100 hydrogen fueling stations statewide within five years.
What are some of the challenges facing the roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell cars? One of the biggest issues is the amount of energy necessary to create the hydrogen needed to run the cars. Hydrogen is produced by separating it from water with electricity or from natural gas with heat. Unless the energy to make it comes from renewable sources, like wind or solar, it can potentially create more pollution. There are also challenges involving how far hydrogen vehicles can travel. Most hydrogen vehicles have a range of only about 150 miles between fill-ups, compared with up to 450 miles for typical gasoline cars. Automakers and research institutions are in the process of working through these issues in anticipation of developing a commercially available hydrogen fuel cell car.
