Intro

It has been once been written on FuelEconomy.gov that:

Although they are not expected to reach the mass market before 2010, fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) may someday revolutionize on-road transportation.

This emerging technology has the potential to significantly reduce energy use and harmful emissions, as well as our dependence on foreign oil. FCVs will have other benefits as well.

A Radical Departure

FCVs represent a radical departure from vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines. Like battery-electric vehicles, FCVs are propelled by electric motors. But while battery electric vehicles use electricity from an external source (and store it in a battery), FCVs create their own electricity. Fuel cells onboard the vehicle create electricity through a chemical process using hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air.

Meeting Challenges Together

Before FCVs make it to your local auto dealer, significant research and development is required to reduce cost and improve performance. We must also find effective and efficient ways to produce and store hydrogen and other fuels.

Main goals of FC cars and trucks developers are:

• Cheaper to operate
• Pollution-free
• Competitively priced
• Free from imported oil vehicle design and development.

Text source: Link

But 2010 is not far from now. Has there been any initiative that fully addressed commercialization of FCVs?

I have mentioned several times on this blog that only Research and Development of new technology is not enough for product penetration. It should be demonstrated to the public to build solid image, or presence among average users. DEMO marketing has become key to new technology penetration.