Senior officials at some of the world's largest automakers believe that fuel cell cars will be fully commercialised by 2015, according to a Reuters report on Tuesday (2nd June).

Speaking this week at a hydrogen and fuel cells conference in Vancouver, most were in agreement that the auto industry's quest for a greener future will not be led by one innovation.

However, the hydrogen fuel cell car - highlighted by former President George Bush as the key to reducing the US' reliance on foreign oil - is being hailed as a major component of that drive.

General Motors (GM), Toyota, Honda and Daimler-Ford venture Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC) all believe 2015 is a realistic target for the commercialisation of the vehicles.

"I was very pleased that here were four auto companies all saying pretty much the same thing about the state of readiness of the technology," Lawrence Burns, Vice President of Research and Development at GM, told the news provider.

The industry was dealt a blow recently when US Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a cut of nearly two-thirds in the budget for research into hydrogen-fuelled cars.

In addition, critics have suggested that cost concerns involving the cars themselves, hydrogen production and storage, and the widespread installation of hydrogen fuelling stations will limit their progress.

Andreas Truckenbrodt, Chief Executive at AFCC, has dismissed those claims, despite conceding that there will not be one winner in the country's attempts to reduce its dependence on petroleum.

"Fuel cells work fine. The number one focus is now on cost reductions and we know how to get there," he told Reuters.

"Do you really think we would be spending billions if we were waiting for a miracle?"

Source:

Automakers see no one winner in "green" car race (02/06/09)

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