GM Moves Toward Fuel Cells

General Motors has invested in Quantum Technologies, a hydrogen-storage company that is a
unit of Impco, an alternative-fuel specialist. This move may speed up the development of
fuel cells for vehicles, although the technology is still years away from practical use.
Fuel cells that use hydrogen and oxygen emit only water as exhaust. Quantum has developed a
hydrogen storage tank that can store hydrogen at 5,000 psi, extending the driving range to
175-250 miles. By year’s end, the company will have available a tank that has a range of
300 to 500 miles. Current fuel-cell vehicles have a range of about 100 to 150 miles. GM
hopes to offer its first fuel cell vehicle for retail sale by the end of the decade.