Three new cars produced by General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and Nissan have been used to highlight the benefits of using hydrogen fuel cells.

The US Fuel Cell Council says it hopes that the promotion of the three cars will help encourage more consumers to support the development of vehicles which use hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water.

The council is using its mini trade conference to encourage US legislators to take more action to promote the use of eco-friendly technology.

As it stands now, the energy Senate bill recommends funds of $860 million (£474 million) from 2006 through 2010 for the promotion of fuel cell technologies. The legislation also details sets targets such as 2.5 million hydrogen-fueled vehicles on the roads by 2020.

Robert Rose, executive director of the US Fuel Cell Council, welcomed plans to introduce tax provision to subsidise 15 per cent of the price of fuel cell technology.

"It's a significant risk-sharing provision for early adopters of the technology and very important for the industry," said Mr Rose.

Recent research from Research and Markets (R&M) indicated that the global market for fuel cell components alone will be worth $100 billion by 2013.