Fuel cells offer promise as the best future replacement for internal combustion engines in transportation applications. Fuel cells operate more efficiently than internal combustion engines, and are capable of running on non-petroleum fuels such as methanol, ethanol, natural gas or hydrogen. Fuel cells can also have a major impact on improving air quality. They virtually eliminate particulates, NOx and sulfur oxide emissions, and significantly reduce hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The US Department of Energy program on fuel cells for transportation applications is structured to advance fuel cell technologies from the R&D phase, through engineering design and scale-up, to demonstration in cars, trucks, buses and locomotives, in order to provide energy savings, fuel flexibility and air quality improvements. This paper describes the present status of the US program.
