FUEL CELLS—ENERGY FOR A POWER-HUNGRY WORLD - Chemistry: Notable Research and Discoveries - page 156

Car manufacturers are also be-
ginning to develop fuel cell tech-
nology for their products. Honda,
a Japanese company, has been ex-
perimenting with fuel cells for sev-
eral years and in 2002 began leasing
a fuel cell vehicle. These early cars
were limited and expensive models
and were not intended to compete
with gasoline- or hybrid-powered
vehicles. But on November 14, 2007,
Honda presented a new version
of their FCX Clarity, a zero-emis-
sion fuel cell vehicle, the only by-
product of which is water. The fuel
cell has an electrolytic membrane
and generates 100 kilowatts of
power, and the vehicle has a range
of 270 miles (430 km) with its hydrogen storage capacity. Honda leases
the vehicle in the United States on a limited basis.
Zero-emission vehicles such as the buses and vans tested by NREL
and Honda's FCX highlight the progress that people are making in ap-
plying fuel cell research to solve real problems. But despite continued
innovation, difficulties remain. These vehicles are expensive and beyond
the budget of many consumers. There is also a problem of obtaining
fuel. Finding a gasoline station and filling up a car's tank is no trouble
except for desolate stretches of road such as in Death Valley, California.
In contrast, few stations exist to service a hydrogen-powered vehicle.
Solving the supply problem with hydrogen fuel cells is essential before
the United States and other countries can enjoy the benefits of having
zero-emission cars on the road.

Experimental fuel cell for a
bus (NASA)

HydrogEnEConoMy
he term hydrogen economy refers to a situation in which most of the
population's energy needs are met with hydrogen fuel instead of oil and
coal. In this scenario, the economy will rely on hydrogen to power ve-
hicles, produce electricity, and other essential activities.