Fuel Cell Cars

Smallholder was watching Scientific American last night with his wife and wee one. The episode, hosted by Alan Alda, detailed the coming generation of fuel cell cars.

If fuel cell cars became practical, we would no longer need to purchase foreign oil. That seems to be a much more efficient way to strangle muslim extremism than nation-building.

Cars would have lower maintenance costs because the engines would not have the stress of internal combustion and heat conversion.

Since the only exhaust from a fuel cell is water vapor, it would dramatically reduce pollution (even the Minister of Propaganda in L.A. would be able to take a deep breath once and a while).

Hydrogen could be processed on-site at service stations, reducing the amount of trucking that currently sevices our gas-based economy.

Why the hell is the government leaving such revolutionary technology development to the whims of the marketplace?

Several car companies are experimenting with the technology, but their research investments are low because there is an obstacle to widespread adoption of fuel cell vehicles. No one will but fuel cell vehicles until hydrogen is widely available at service stations. But service stations won't start to sell hydrogen until a demand exists. Catch-22.

If Smallholder was in charge, we would be pouring billions of dollars into research, billions more into economic incentives - tax credits of a couple thousand dollars to every family that buys a fuel cell car, low-cost loans to service stations converting to hydrogen, the switch of government fleets to hydrogen power, etc.

Perhaps our resident scientist could give us a brief essay on fuel cells and how they work. I'm sure it would bemuch more nelightening than my agrodumps on bovine ovaries.