Though General Motors currently has about 60 fuel cell vehicles in Southern California, that number will increase to 1,000 between 2012 and 2014. In an effort to meet the goal the state has set to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles on the road, GM plans to produce significantly more hydrogen fuel cell options for drivers. Larry Burns, the vice-president of research & development and planning, believes as the number of vehicles produced increases, the demand for them will be higher meaning they will also become more affordable by 2017 or 2018.

Fuel cell vehicles are the more viable option for large, family-sized units because no oversized battery is required, however the biggest challenge of putting more of the vehicles on the road is the issue of refueling. Currently the state only has 25 refueling stations and more would definitely be required to meet the needs if the 1,000-vehicle goal is to succeed. GM is pushing for 40 refueling stations to be added to the Los Angeles area, so that purchasing one of the vehicles is a more reasonable option.

Meanwhile, Honda will release an unknown number of the FCX Clarity hydrogen vehicles later this year and is also expected to increase the number of available vehicles with time. Energy companies and the government are expressing an interest in investing in more refueling stations, especially as the cost of oil has gone up exponentially and the pressure to reduce fuel emissions increases.

» Reuters Environment