China is aiming to take the lead in "green car" technology by aiming to make Shanghai the first city to use hydrogen-powered cars on a large scale, according to state media reports.

According to the South China Morning Post the government will push hydrogen car technology over the next five years.

It said that China's Ministry of Science and Technology is backing the project which wants 1,000 of the vehicles to be on the streets of Shanghai in time for its hosting of the 2010 World Expo.

Shi Tao, a spokesman from the firm Shanghai Shen Li Hi-Tech, told the paper that his company would complete the development of its fourth generation of hydrogen fuel cells next month as a key step in the project.

By using a platinum or pgm as a catalyst, fuel cells in the cars generate power by reacting oxygen in the air with a hydrogen fuel. No harmful emissions are produced as a result of the reaction.

"There will be at least 1,000 hydrogen vehicles in use in Shanghai during the 2010 World Expo for public transportation and probably individual use," Shi Tao said.

The private firm is working with Shanghai Automotive Industry to design fuel cells for two of its two models.

A target of 100 such vehicles has reportedly been set for 2008, with 1,000 - including taxis and buses – wanted by 2009.

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