European Commission calls for 470 million euro investment into hydrogen cars

The allure of hydrogen cars is in their lack of emissions, and this was enough to cause the European Union's executive arm to recently suggest a 470 million euro (665 million dollars) investment into the technology.

EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said, "I'm absolutely not sure that the hydrogen powered car is the car of the future. It is a technology that is really promising and it is important that we give that technology the possibility to be developed."

Although manufacturers such as BMW, General Motors, Honda and Mazda all have hydrogen vehicles that are already on the roads, Verheugen recognizes that the cars are not likely to make a large dent in the overall emissions from cars anytime soon. He said, "Whether it will work I do not know. But what I know is that in the next 10 years we will not have hydrogen powered cars on our streets -- not in a quantity that will count in any way for (bringing down) the emissions."

In addition to the hefty sum allotted for research, the EU would also like to set up standard rules for the manufacturers so that it was easier for them to bring hydrogen vehicles to market. Some day, maybe.

[Source: Physorg]