"Fuel cells mix hydrogen and oxygen to produce electric current." (42). The only emission from fuel cells is water. Today's cars "average 27 miles to the gallon of gasoline, [while] a vehicle running on a fuel cell can theoretically get 81 miles to a kilogram of hydrogen which contains roughly the same amount of energy as a gallon of gasoline ergo, nearly triple the efficiency. Throw in the fact that hydrogen fuel cells are quiet, produce no vibrations, start instantly, and emit only steam, and you can begin to see why this technology has been hailed as the harbinger of a completely new energy order." (43).

There are some problems with fuel cells. Hydrogen costs more than gasoline, though with rising gas prices, that gap is closing. Additionally, there are logistical problems with Hydrogen as a consumer fuel to replace gasoline:
1- "It is not clear either where all the Hydrogen would come from. [] [M]any advantages of hydrogen have been offset by its own short supply." (44).
2 "Onboard fuel storage is still problematic. Even when compressed, hydrogen remains far less energy-dense than gasoline. A large fuel tank, barely big enough to fit into the trunk of a car, would still yield a cruising range of well under 200 miles." (45).
3 Creating the necessary infrastructure for widespread use of fuel cell cars "would cost billions of dollars."(45).

For fuel cells to have an impact and revolutionize the automobile industry it will take, "a massive global political initiative." (46.) "In short we need a radical shift in the current automotive paradigm a shift that, in todays political environment, is almost impossible to imagine." (46).

U.S. Fuel Cell Council

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What steps should we take?