Car manufacturer Volkswagen has claimed to have developed a smaller fuel cell which is also the most powerful the firm has made.

The new technology may be made available to other automakers in the future and Frank Seyfried, fuel cell researcher at Volkswagen, commented: "We are considering it although no decision has been taken on that."

Volkswagen claims that the new fuel cell is 30 per cent smaller than any other model, but the company still believes fuel cell development is some way off from becoming a mainstream technology for vehicles.

The company believes that it will be another three years before fuel cell technology has been sufficiently tested, with another ten years before fuel cells are competitive enough to compete in the market with petrol and diesel vehicles.

Wolfgang Steiger, Volkswagen group's powertrain director, explained: "In 2020, the first affordable VW fuel cell car for everyday could be on the market."

Ÿ Adfero Ltd