BMW Sees Hydrogen Cars Still 20-30 Years From Widespread Availability - Age

[hatrack]

EDIT

This week's North American International Auto Show in Detroit has seen the release of a range of alternative-fuel vehicles, including GM's electric car prototype, dubbed the Volt. Hybrid cars that combine electric motors with other fuels such as petrol continue to gain popularity. Toyota has predicted US sales of its hybrid vehicles will rise 70 per cent this year, to 300,000 units.

"There are lots of challenges (with hydrogen-powered cars), just something as simple as distribution," Mr Panton said in a visit to Sydney. "If we were able to solve all the (technical) issues, it would still take 20 to 30 years to get distribution channels in place across the world."

Mr Panton was in Australia to introduce the new president of BMW Australia, Guenther Seemann, who will succeed Franz Sauter.

Last year, BMW launched the Hydrogen 7, a 7 Series limousine that can run on petrol and hydrogen. This is a different approach from GM, which has been focusing on an electric car powered by fuel cells that convert hydrogen to electricity.

EDIT

http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/hydrogen-cars-still-a-long-way-from-takeoff/2007/01/11/1168105116870.html#

[NNadir]

1. My prediction is that like fusion energy, they will always be 20-30 years off.

They are a bad idea in any case.

When it comes to energy, though, people are stupid and believe what they want to believe, not what is even remotely realistic.

Thirty years ago people were talking all about ethanol cars - and we still have people dumb enough to represent this is a serious energy strategy. But experience has shown that it is much more difficult to do something than to talk about what sounds good..