Hydrogen fuels future's cars

Neither the energy bill approved by the Senate late last week nor the sharply different House version approved earlier would do enough to begin ending our dangerous dependency on Middle East oil. Our major energy focus today ought to be on transforming our system to one based on the most abundant and non-polluting element on earth: hydrogen.
The auto industry is clearly the key to speeding up our transition to this flexible energy source. America's transportation sector is currently 95% reliant on petroleum as fuel, and 67% of the petroleum in the United States is used for transportation.
Critics contend that using hydrogen energy to power autos is decades away. They are simply wrong. The transformation to hydrogen power is underway. Major oil companies recognize this and have made significant investments in hydrogen systems, including better batteries using hydrogen (nickel-metal-hydride batteries), photovoltaics and fuel cells.
Some 100,000 hybrid-electric vehicles made by Toyota and Honda now are in use. They are powered by a combination of small gasoline engines and powerful nickel-metal-hydride batteries. The hybrids get from 40 to more than 60 miles per gallon of gas in city driving and easily exceed the most stringent emissions standards.
These hybrids are more expensive, but when they are produced in greater numbers, the unit costs will drop sharply. Their greater fuel economy will lower operating costs. Ultimately, the USA could become almost energy self-sufficient.
The critics doubt such a sea change in the auto market can happen fast enough to make a difference. But Ford already has announced plans to launch a hybrid-electric SUV by the end of next year. Hybrid-electric-powered vehicles by GM and DaimlerChrysler are expected to follow suit. By 2005, some industry experts predict 3 million hybrid-electric vehicles on the road.
These hybrid electric vehicles are only a stopgap solution to our energy...

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