Fuel Cells and new hydrogen applications will undoubtedly be developed and will be used in some applications, just as electric vehicles are used in a few niche markets. Enough effort has been expended to show there is some technical validity. It is not obvious that these will be other than niche offerings. And it is extremely dangerous and unconscionable for proponents to "sell" the idea when we are faced with ever depleting resources. An impartial evaluation of the work done to date would be of great value. Well justified projections of the future, taking into account the familiar "law of diminishing returns," would also be very important. This requires individuals with integrity who will provide the information necessary in the form that the lay person can understand. Questions to be addressed would include:

1. What is the manufacturing cost of the fuel cell vehicles recently shipped (December 2002) by Toyota and Honda?

In a December 23, 2002 article in Business Week entitled "Fuel Cells: Japan's Carmakers Are Flooring It," it is estimated that the current Honda FCX and Toyota FCHV cost about $1 million each to build. The president of Honda is quoted as saying "My goal is to build one a month over the next two or three years."

2. What are the projected costs of a fuel cell car?

In the same article referenced above, It is noted that the Honda's engineer in charge of fuel cells, Yozo Kami, admits it will take at least 10 years to bring sticker prices down to $100,000, the cost of today's most expensive gasoline cars.

3. Are there sufficient resources for the rare components such as platinum to provide a large volume of such cars?

Platinum has always been a rare and expensive metal. Is there enough platinum to provide fuel cell engines for 700 million cars?

4. What would be the cost comparison of fleets based on electric vehicles or natural gas vehicles as compared to fuel cell vehicles? What is the equivalent energy used for these different options?

This is a comparison that could have been made at almost any time in the last year. Its lack is significant.

5. How would hybrid vehicles (internal combustion and batteries) be expected to evolve in the same time period and how would they compare to fuel cell vehicles, including hybrid cars with battery charging capability?

All car manufacturers are announcing hybrid models. Possibly they already know the answer.

6. What is the difference between the various configurations of alternate fuel cell/hydrogen options and what are the comparison costs of the options – including fuel cell with hydrogen tanks, fuel cell with reformer, ICE with hydrogen tanks and ICE reformer, pure electric vehicles charged by power networks, pure electric vehicles charged by fuel cell power plants, etc.?

This could be provided in a simple chart. Its absence is also noteworthy.

7. What is the cost difference between an EV1 running on electricity and a regular car running on gasoline? Assume the electricity being generated is by an oil turbine.

This information has been available for several years now. It is surprising to find it missing in the popular literature

Most of these questions can easily be answered by the experts involved in the industry, should they care to do so.

A report written in January 2003 entitled Energy and the Hydrogen Economy by Ulf Bossel and Baldur Eliasson contains the following comments in their Summary of Results:

"The reported results are by no means final. The readers of this study are invited to refine the analysis and to contribute further details. The energy cost of producing, packaging, distributing, storing and transferring hydrogen must have been analyzed in different contexts. The results of those studies may be used to verify, correct, or reject our numbers. Whatever, the intent of this compilation is to create an awareness about the weaknesses of a pure hydrogen economy. We are surprised to discover that, apparently, the energy needed to run a hydrogen economy have never been fully assessed before." (Italics added)

The authors are surprised but do not add that they may also be dismayed, as many are who observe the fuel cell solution being sold to people by experts, governments and corporations, rather than being explained to them.

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