GM Sequel hits 300 mile fuel cell mark

300 miles on one tank of hydrogen

"With this drive, General Motors has reached another important milestone toward the commercialization of our fuel cell vehicles, by achieving the range expected by today's consumers," said Larry Burns, GM vice president, research & development and strategic planning. "And we did it while producing zero emissions, as a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle only emits water. In addition, the hydrogen produced at Niagara Falls, used to fuel Sequel, was derived from hydropower - a clean, renewable resource. This means that the entire process - from the creation of the hydrogen to the use of the fuel in the vehicle -- was virtually carbon dioxide free."

While an important fuel cell milestone, GM - and all automakers - still face another monumental obstacle regarding fuel cell vehicles: where will the hydrogen come from?

Then there is the cost of these vehicles, and we're not just talking fuel cell costs. Brake-by-wire, wheel hub motors, lithium-ion batteries, advanced aluminum framework - all of these are not standard, production ready systems. So, even if a hydrogen highway, or some other fuel network can be developed, it might still be decades before such vehicles cost less than $100,000 per vehicle.