It has been claimed that Europe will have as many as six million hydrogen cars across the continent by 2020.

The chief executive of Linde Group, Wolfgang Reitzle, has suggested that, although there are currently only around 500 cars in use around the world at present, this figure will jump significantly over the next decade as consumers seek to avoid high oil prices and become more environmentally-conscious.

Speaking at a congress in Aachen, Germany, Mr Reitzle called on politicians to take a more active role in enabling green technology to become a reality for more people.

Klaus Borgmann, head of powertrain development at BMW, added that hydrogen technology is becoming increasingly important, commenting: "It combines a high energy density and low emissions, and that's why we think it's the trend going forward."

Mr Reitzle also suggested that six million hydrogen vehicles in Europe was a "conservative estimate", as he anticipates the demand for such technology to surge in the years ahead.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd