Fuel cell vehicles still in first gear

As in years past, fuel cell-powered vehicles are the technology of the future, according to a report published on Thursday by the U.S. National Academies.

Despite a great deal of technical progress, the study concludes that fuel cell vehicles will only make a significant dent in oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions with decades of coordinated government policies and commitment from industry.

The primary barriers to adoption are high costs and the absence of an infrastructure to distribute hydrogen, the report said, which was commissioned by Congress and sponsored by the Department of Energy.