EC proposals to encourage hydrogen cars

At the heart of the EU scheme is a new €470 million Joint Technology Initiative (JTI), a type of public-private partnership in hydrogen research, with EC funding to be matched by industrial partners. Major companies expected to be involved in the JTI include Shell, Total and DaimlerChrysler.

Boost
"The introduction of hydrogen vehicles has the potential to make Europe's air cleaner and reduce its dependency on fossil fuels," said industry commissioner Guenter Verheugen. "Setting common standards will support the introduction of these vehicles and ensure high safety for citizens. It will also boost the competitiveness of European manufacturers."

The initiative should provide a much-needed boost for Europe’s nascent hydrogen economy, but not everyone is convinced. Critics say that hydrogen is a very long term solution, and putting too much focus on – and investment into – hydrogen, distracts from other more practical solutions, such as biofuels and ethanol.

Great expectations
The Commission, perhaps optimistically, expects hydrogen vehicles to be widely available between 2010 and 2020. German car maker BMW already offers a hybrid hydrogen model, the Hydrogen 7 series, which is capable of running on both petrol and hydrogen. Other models include the Ford Focus FCV and the Mazda RX-8, which use similar dual-fuel energy technology.