With the demise of the American car industry such as it is now, manufacturers are looking for the next thing on the horizon to keep their companies out of bankruptcy. It would appear hydrogen powered vehicles are fitting the bill and already there is a call to have hydrogen powered vehicles replace those running on fossil fuels which are currently polluting the environment. Since hydrogen is not implicated in any harmful activities when burned – unlike carbon monoxide in gasoline powered cars – it is widely believed to be the substance of the future.

Before you go out looking for hydrogen powered vehicles, however, consider that the process required to make these cars a reality is still rather costly. As such, manufacturers cannot hope to make any profit with their hydrogen powered vehicles until and unless they manage to greatly reduce their overall cost to the consumer. This accounts for the vast amount of experimentation currently going on in the car industry and also related industries.

While there have been rumors at least one major American car manufacturer will produce hydrogen powered vehicles by 2010, the odds are good recent industry upheaval will put these plans by the wayside. This opens up the race to the national scene and it is only a matter of time until one of the big competitors will take the bull by the horns and devise a viable product. Since the market is ready and consumer behavior is decidedly shifting toward greener shores, the motivation is undoubtedly there.