Logistical obstacles are likely to mean that it will be up to 20 years until half of US motorists are driving environmentally-friendly hybrid vehicles, it has been claimed.

The projection is based on findings revealed by a computer model developed by Jeroen Struben and John Sterman at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The research team's programme took into account factors such as consumer behaviour, government regulations, the impact of educational programmes and the economics of installing an infrastructure of fuel cell stations and asserts that it is only if these evolve in tandem with one another that any progress will be made.

Dr Struden told the Post Chronicle: "The challenge is not just introducing an (alternative fuel) vehicle. Consumer acceptance, the fueling infrastructure and manufacturing capability all have to evolve at the same time."

However, the most pertinent obstacle revealed by the model was that consumers are loath to invest in a fuel cell car until there is a range of the vehicles on the road.

Conversely, auto-manufacturers are naturally loath to produce vehicles for which there is no market, thus presenting the car industry with a catch 22 situation.

A further stumbling block was public perception of the vehicles, with the report asserting that consumers often cannot be enticed by fuel cell cars even in the case of hydrogen-powered vehicles being three times as fuel efficient as gasoline cars and offering comparable performance at the same price.

Source:

US loath to give up gas guzzlers , 09/06/07
http://www.newscientisttech.com/channel/tech/mg19426075.800-us-loath-to-give-up-gas-guzzlers.html

Hybrid Cars Face 'Catch 22' Situation, 04/06/07
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/science/article_21284525.shtml

Ÿ Adfero Ltd